Budget 2022: $2 billion to deliver health services across the Territory

4 May 2022

The Territory Labor Government is bolstering capacity at Royal Darwin Hospital as part of a $2 billion investment in health infrastructure and services across the Territory for Budget 2022.

Investment to meet additional inpatient demands to provide access to high quality health services at Royal Darwin Hospital including:

·         $8 million for additional capacity

·         $6.4 million to establish a mental health stabilisation and referral area

·         $7.5 million for demand pressures

Budget 2022 will also deliver Territory Government funding of $13.3 million over five years towards the $43.9 million bilateral agreement with the Commonwealth on mental health and suicide prevention.

Under the agreement, $15.4 million will go towards two new Head to Health adult mental health satellite clinics and ongoing funding for the Territory’s first Head to Health centre.

$9.1 million will also go into a new Head to Health Kids Hub to improve access to multidisciplinary team care to children, and $5.7 million will be invested into two headspace centres to increase access to multidisciplinary youth mental health services

The health budget also includes a $60 million to address additional COVID-19 pressures, allocated to 2021/22, including hospital and public health services as keeping Territorians safe remains a priority.

An additional $1.5 million will be invested into sexual assault services and training.

The Territory Labor Government will continue to invest in a number of existing programs including:

·         $15.5 million for alcohol treatment services

·         $8.1 million for oncology services, including operation of the cyclotron facility

·         $5 million for delivery of the sustained nurse home visiting for vulnerable families program

The Territory Labor Government is delivering high-quality health care no matter where people live in the Territory.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Health, Natasha Fyles:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of having high quality health services accessible to all Territorians. Budget 2022 will further boost the investments already delivered by the Territory Labor Government throughout the global pandemic.

“Through COVID-19 we have also seen a growing need to increase capacity at Royal Darwin Hospital and Budget 2022 delivers on this.

“The mental health needs in the Territory are incredibly complex and vastly different to those in other jurisdictions - and we have continued to work in partnership with the Commonwealth to ensure these needs are supported. We have invested significantly in mental health support across the Territory, and we will continue to do so to improve services for Territorians.

“We are providing health services to all Territorians in remote communities and ensuring people can access high quality healthcare closer to home.”

Media contact: Will Zwar - 0483 197 842