The data (and lack of data) in the report below is indicative of the continuing high pressure on NT hospitals as a result of the significant burden of illness in the NT population along with chronic underfunding of NT health services over many years.
The NT has the highest proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people compared to other Australian states and territories and a significant number of these individuals live in rural and remote locations. The Indigenous population, unfortunately, has a very high burden of chronic illness underling the “Close the Gap” mortality data. This results in high and extended rates of hospitalisation that places significant pressure on hospital beds and treatment times.
The lack of aged care beds in the NT also means that a significant number of individuals who should be better cared for in aged care or disability accommodation are currently being cared for in hospital beds, adding to the hospital bed block and reduced efficiency of core hospital services such as surgical waiting times. This has led to Royal Darwin and Palmerston Hospitals having frequent “Code Yellow” situations over the period of the report where hospital services (such as elective surgical waiting lists) have to be adjusted to compensate for the constant pressure.
This is, unfortunately, not likely to improve in 2025.
Key Takeaways
This year, the Northern Territory failed to provide any performance metrics relating to planned surgery, with members raising concerns about the uptake of a new data management system in the territory. Only 41 per cent of Category 3 (urgent) ED patients are being seen within the recommended time of 30 minutes.
Figure 1: NT performance 2023‒24 compared to the previous year
| Cat 3 ED on time |
4-hour rule |
Median surgery wait |
Cat 2 surgery wait |
| ❌ |
❌ |
? |
? |
Figure 2: NT performance 2023‒24 compared to national average (below or above)
| Cat 3 ED on time |
4-hour rule |
Median surgery wait |
Cat 2 surgery wait |
| ▼ |
= |
? |
? |
Emergency department performance - NT
In the Northern Territory, the proportion of ED patients being seen within four hours has risen to the national average of 55 per cent in 2023–24, a 7 per cent increase from the year prior.
Worryingly, only 41 per cent of Category 3 (urgent) ED patients are being seen within the recommended time of 30 minutes. This represents a 19 per cent fall from four years prior, and the lowest figure in the past 20 years, highlighting a crisis in capacity within the Northern Territory’s emergency departments.
Figure 3: Percentage of Category 3 (urgent) ED patients seen within the recommended time of under 30 minutes — NT
Figure 4: Percentage of ED visits completed in four hours or less — NT
Planned surgery performance - NT
n/a — no information provided
Figure 5: Median waiting time for planned surgery (days) — NT
n/a — no information provided
Figure 6: Percentage of Category 2 planned surgery patients admitted within the recommended (90 days) — NT
n/a — no information provided
Public hospital expenditure – NT
Figure 7: Per person average annual percentage increase in public hospital funding by government source (constant prices) — NT
|
2012‒13 to 2022‒23 |
2012‒13 to 2017‒18 |
2017‒18 to 2022‒23 |
| Federal |
6.09% |
7.87% |
4.33% |
| NT Government |
1.15% |
-2.97% |
5.45% |
Figure 8: Public hospital funding, per person, by government source (constant prices) — NT
The most recent public hospital funding data is from 2022‒23. In the NT, most public hospital funding (64.5 per cent) comes from the state government. This is higher than the national average of 61 per cent, with the NT also paying the highest per-person cost for public hospitals in Australia at $3,089 per person.
