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Northern Territory Department of Health Library Services Historical Collection
ROYAL DARWIN HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT BOARD
ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1983/84 TO
THE HONOURABLE
·MINISTER FOR HEALTH
HISTORICAL COLLECTION
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ROYAL DARWIN HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT BOARD
ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1983/84 TO
THE HONOURABLE MINISTER FOR HEALTH
CENTRAL LIBRARY
2 3 OCT ·1998
TEffRITORY HEAL TH SERVICES
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ROYAL DARWIN HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT BOARD NORTHERN TERRITORY
Telephone: 20 7211 Telex: AA85450
In reply quote
I
12 February 1985
The Hon. J.M. Robertson, MLA, Minister for Health,
G.P.O. Box 3146, DARWIN. N.T. 5794
My dear Minister,
On behalf of the Management Board of The Royal Darwin Hospital, it is my honour to present to you the
1983/84 Annual Report.
Yours sincerely,
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. Jennifer Prince
1
• Secretary
ROYAL DARWIN HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT BOARD
Al I correspondence to:
Chairman
Royal Darwin Hospital Management Board, P.O. Box 41326, DARWIN, N.T. 5792
Introduction
OOYAL DARWIN HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT OOARD
ANNUAL REIDRT 1983/84
TI1e Royal Darwin Hospital Ma.nagerrent Board rret on· 12 occasions during the 1982/84 financial year. 1he period saw a nurrber of chan~e:::; both in the Foard' s rrarlJership and in senior staff at the Royal Danvin Hospital. 11any important events occurred in 1983/84 including an
increase in authorised bed m .. "rlJers, the introduction of :-.Iedicare and the declaration of the Ro:val Darwin Hospi t:il by Her Jin.jesty the Queen.
Board Merrbership
The appointed ITErrbers of the Board at the coITTTEncrn:ent of the year
\rer 11.r G Johnstone .. 11r B \·aladian,
:.fr
D Dale, }tl'S .:-: Grc1:1t 2nd Mr J Hollingsworth. Mr Valadian tendered his resignation from tb.e Boa.i1d in July 1983 ;md was replaced by Mrs D Fo:.;: in Noverrber 19S3.~Ir Dale resigned in :;o,:errber 1983 8Ild was repla\._'.ed by :.Ir R Rushbury in :-.Iay 193-L . ..\s -chere v::is :10t .1 full CGr:pler.Y2:~ t ;):£' 2.~;roi:-:ted rner:ters at a Board J:ee-:ing until Jtu'1e 1D84_. a Omir.w..:1 1xa.s t:ot e lec-ced 1..u--:til that rmnth. jir' Johnstone had acted as Ol:iirrrm-1 'J.I'.til the electicn in June, 1.vhen !,Ir Hollingsworth wn.s elected as Cn8.i ~11'-811, cmd JI.rs Gr3.11t as I:eputy 01ainnar1.
Departrr.ental Appoinunents
At the comrencerr.ent of the year, Dr 111 Chalrrers was acting as both the Regional Director of the Danvin Region and the J:edical Superintendent of the Pt0yal Danvin Hospital. Dr CbaLrners left the Territory in October 1983 to undertake a managerr:ent course at t:1e Austrc-J.ian
-~c~"inistrat::;_\-e Sto..ff College in 1/i,:tor::_a; n_11d :1 ~.:c~ter cf ;::1_l::1li.:: Ee2 .. ~ th
Cc...'::;r..:::-e at Syd:1~~_; 1:niversit: .. -. Dr E 2eath w2S 8.ppoi:1~ed ~'-5 the ~1Ieclic:1l
S· . .i1:er~T::c1c.e~L ,')f tte F.cya.:. D2.1~·:i:1 Ecs~ital, ~·:.:rt '.i~s E CL; "1s ~!.:.e
Eegi.01.1'-~1 Dii'ector uf the D:::u",';::..n Region. ~.lr~ ~ .;._,(:.::.~ ~c1 -.,.-~-ts -:he D:.~:ec1:::::,::.~
cf .:~ursi!'lg for the pe::.·iod and ire her abser:cP. :.:rs .J H0g2.1~ \ras the ).cting Director. tlr 1\I South was the Sec::etary to -cte B0arc~ ~~nci
:,ir' F Schoolr:-:eester perfo:rr:-Ed this role in his ~bsence.
Inspections
Inspections were carried out on a quarterly basis ,.1.·i th the 2.llilUO..l inspection being conducted ii.1 ,June 1984.
l\'2;.:::-d 9 and Ward 5 were inspected in 3epter.·be:: 10?2: I'el i ~.-er_:.- Suite.
Chstetric Wa:"d and :::he Special Care .\'tTserT :n :hc:r~J!-?:: 1983; Prirrary Care. Accident Errerger.c~,1 J11d the Llboratorr in :·,hrc:h 198:J:. and Suildin~--s 4 8Ild 6 in June 1984.
Dr J V Quinn. A/Secretary for Heal th accompanied So2.rd merrbers O!'l the annual inspection in June 1984.
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General Business
During the period 1983/84, the Board received regular reports from a nunber of managanent areas and hospital canni. ttees. These included nursing, rredical, finance, nnintenance, security, infection control,
drugs and the redical advisory camri. ttee.
'Ihe Board was addressed by Dr L Mykyta on Extended Care Services, Dr K Tianing on Medicare, and Mrs B Jones on the ~nzies School of Heal th Research.
The Board considered and gave advice on such nntters as the impact of Medicare, RLH finances, problems faced by Aboriginal patients and their families, hospital activity, Hospital .Managen:mt Board's Hand- book and the role of hospital boards.
Mrs N Grant attended the Australian Hospitals' Association on behalf of the Board, and Mrs Fox attended the Annual General Meeting of Cllairpersons in Tennant Creek.
'Ihe Board was pleased to note the low incidence of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) cases ie infections detected during the year compared with the previous year. This nnrked improvement is largely attributable to the concerted surveillance progranIIE conducted by the Hospital's Infection Control Unit and high level of co-operation from all staff involved.
'Ihe role and objectives of the Board was an issue raised at a number of rreetings, including the Annual General ~eting of <Jiairpersons held in Tennant Creek. Means whereby the role of menbers could be enhanced through .rrore active involvement in hospital activities, and public
relations between the hospital and cormrunity in general could be improved, were considered. This resulted in a revision of the Patient Care
Comnittee where both the Cllainnan (Mr Hollingsworth) and Deputy Olainmn
(Mrs Grant) were appointed as meni:>ers and the public invited through rredia advertising to direct any complaints, criticisrs etc to TTEITiJers of this corrmittee. There has been a large response from the public.
Other rreans to enhance the Board's role will be actively pursued during 1984/ 85 year.
New Initiatives
A nuniJer of new initiatives coITITEnced at the Royal Darwin Hospital during the 1983/84 year. -A high security unit was established. in Building 9 South. The Unit, known as Ward 9, provided secure accomrodation for two pers:ms who had been charged with .rmjor criminal offences but had been found unfit to plead by the court.
'Ihe Renal Service was transferred from Building 9 South to the Nightcliff Health Centre.
A Prirrary Care Clinic was established at the .Royal Da.IWin Hospital in January 1984. 'Ihis service is staffed by five experienced general practitioners and is receiving considerable support fran the Darwin camuni ty. An apJX)in tzrent systen is available for patients.
'Ihe nuni,er of authorised beds at the lbyal Da.IWin Hospital rose to a total of 350 during 1983/84. Three operating theatres were in regular use with the fourth theatre being used for eirergency cases. 'Ihe Medicare system was implerrented. successfully on 1 February 1984.
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The new procedures are working well and a srmll increase in inpatient utilisation coupled with a marked increase in outpatient utilisation has been observed. 'Ihe outpatient increase can be, in part, explained by the establishrrent of the Prirrary Care Clinic.
Industri:il Issues
The Royal Australian :~ursing Federation placed bans on elective surgery during March 1984 in resporse to alleged staffing soortages. As a result tt.e nurrber of 11hancls on11 nurses was increased to 506 and a fonnal bedstatG control system was introduced and limits placed on adr,issions for elective surgery.
No other industrial rmtters had a significant impact on the operation of the Hospital.
Other Activities
A m.rrr.bcr of other en-::~ts of note occurred during the year. Her j1ajf'.:·S cy the Queen bes to1.1:ed ~he honour of allowing the prefix 'Royal: to be used for the Darwin Hospital in recognition of the valued serv-ice given to the people of Dar.v~n and its environs since its establishment. TI1e Hospital has been required to continue under very difficult conditions including the events of World War I I and Cyclone Tracy. The P:oard organized a successful Ball to cel,3brate the occasion, and it is hoped this will becorre an annual event.
'The Board is rleased to have been involved in the establishn~nt of the Menzies School of Health Research and the inclusion of the Royal Darwin Hospi t::il as a teacb.ing sc...1--iool of the eni versi ty of Sydney.
Tne Danvin Schoel of ~ursing had its first intake of rrid1rh-es grad~ate in 1983/84
nnc
their s;.1ccess enswed anot~12r in.t2J.;:e in the ea.rlv r;:i.r-::oi 1934.
Sr Hi.ld:=~::..rd H~il ton :1 valu2d merr.ber of' the RDH st::1.ff. \T;ho h:id reti~ed during 1983 was awarded the Order o.f Australia in the 1984 Honours List.
The P:oard corrrrissioned a portrait of ~.1iss Brenna..11 to carrnermrate her rm.ny years of service to the Royal Darwin Hospital.