Number of specialised mental health public hospital beds
In real numbers, the Northern Territory is one of the few states/territories that recorded an increase in public hospital mental health beds, from 41 to 42 since 1992-93. However, measured by 100,000 population there has been a decrease from 24.7 to 17.1 in the same period.62
Number of specialised mental health public hospital beds - Northern Territory
Graph: Number of mental health public hospital beds NT. Source: AIHW data: Specialised mental health care facilities tables 2019-20. Table FAC.13.
Mental health emergency department presentations
Since 2004-05 the Northern Territory recorded a more than doubling of the rate of emergency department presentations per 10,000 population, from132.6 to 306.6 in 2020-21.
Rate of ED presentations per 10,000 population - Northern Territory
Graph: ED presentations per 10,000 population NT. Source: AIHW data Mental Health Services Provided in emergency departments data tables 2020-21
Similar to trends in other states and territories, the severity of mental health presentations in the Northern Territory has been increasing, with the number of patients triaged as resuscitation growing by 0.7 per cent since 2015-16, and those triaged as emergency (to be seen within 15 minutes) increasing by 7.6 per cent.
Mental health related emergency department presentations in public hospitals by triage category 2015-16 to 2020-21 in the Northern Territory - per cent
Graph: Mental health-related emergency department presentations in public hospitals, by triage category, per cent NT Source: AIHW Data: Mental Health Services Provided in emergency departments data tables 2015-16 to 2020–21
Emergency department mental health treatment times – ED length of stay
In the Northern Territory in 2020-21 ED median length of stay for all mental health presentations was 3 hours and 31 minutes. For presentations ending in admissions, median length of stay was 5 hours and 5 minutes. 90th percentile length of stay for mental health presentations ending in admissions was 19 hours and 20 minutes.63
Source: AIHW Data: Mental Health Services Provided in emergency departments data tables 2016-17 to 2020-21
Mental health emergency department presentations – ambulance arrival
In the Northern Territory, the rate of mental health presentations where the mode of arrival at emergency department is by ambulance has been steady over the five years since 2016, revolving around 40 per cent. The rate of ED ambulance arrivals for all presentations has been dropping in the same period reducing by 2.8 per cent.
Mental health presentations ambulance arrival mode - Northern Territory
Graph: Mental health ED Presentations ambulance arrival mode. Source: AIHW Data Mental Health Services Provided in emergency departments data tables 2016-17 to 2020-21
Overnight admitted mental health care
Northern Territory has had one the shortest average length of stay for admitted mental health patients nationally since 2015-16.
Average length of stay for mental health patients in public hospitals - Northern Territory
Graph: Average length of stay for mental health patients in public hospitals. Source: AIHW 2022. Web report: Mental Health Services in Australia. Overnight admitted mental health care. Overnight admitted mental health related care tables, Table ON.1.
Sources
62AIHW 2022. Specialised mental health care facilities tables 2019-20. Table FAC.13. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services/mental-health-services-in-australia/report-content/specialised-facilities
63AIHW 2022. Mental Health Services Provided in Emergency Departments. Table ED.17: Mental health-related emergency department presentations in public hospitals, statistics for length of stay by states and territories, 2020–21