Alice Springs-based ACEM President Dr Stephen Gourley said, “Treating victims of family and domestic violence is a major part of our workload in the Northern Territory, every day. It isn’t a weekend thing – it is every single day.”
“Staff in Territory emergency departments are treating high numbers of women every day for facial fractures, head injuries, strangulation, stabbings and defensive broken arms – from holding up their arms to try and protect themselves.”
Dr Gourley said the impacts on staff were significant and a factor in skilled workforce shortages in the Territory. “It traumatises the staff who look after the victims. Emergency department staff get distressed by the frequency, the volume and by the sheer ferocity of the violence – and it’s getting worse.”
Despite these levels of violence, clinicians have observed a steady decline in services supporting victims of violence. Dr Gourley said, “We need political parties to step up and commit to solutions that can curb these horrifying levels of violence, support victims and address the larger issues that create social despair and perpetuate violence.”
ACEM has outlined other priorities relating to emergency care for political parties standing for election in 2024. Dr Gourley said, “We urgently need more inpatient hospital beds and staff in Darwin – and ongoing support to keep them safely staffed – and government commitment to maintain sufficient hospital operations in Palmerston.”
ACEM is also advocating for culturally safe government initiatives to prevent dangerous alcohol consumption.
Dr Gourley said, “In Alice Springs we know, first-hand, that health-focussed initiatives aimed at curbing unsafe alcohol use can help keep people safer, reduce violence – including in emergency departments – and decrease the number of preventable presentations.”
Alcohol-fuelled violence is one of the biggest issues facing Australian EDs, with ACEM research revealing that almost 100 per cent of staff believe that alcohol negatively impacts patients in ED. ACEM wants to see political parties commit to applying and maintaining guidelines on the purchase and consumption of alcohol, with a commensurate focus on addressing the reasons people drink to unsafe levels.
Dr Gourley said, "Social determinants of health and wellbeing, such as poverty, housing, employment, and education, must be addressed to genuinely resolve the issue of unsafe alcohol consumption.
“All people need a sense of hope for the future and to feel valued and safe.”
ACEM has outlined five priority areas for the incoming government, to help more people in the NT get safer, faster emergency care:
- Urgent solutions to reduce family and domestic violence and support victims.
- An increase in the number of safely staffed inpatient hospital beds in the Top End, allocated according to operational need.
- The implementation of culturally safe government initiatives to prevent dangerous alcohol consumption and reduce alcohol-related presentations. This must be based on evidence-based measures such as price, availability, and access restrictions to limit excessive purchases and consumption of alcohol, and associated harms.
- Commitment to maintain safe and sufficient hospital operations in Palmerston.
- The implementation of ACEM’s Hospital Access Targets across the Territory, replacing the National Emergency Access Targets.
ACEM will publicly support political pledges that align with these asks. It encourages parties to engage with NT’s emergency clinicians on strategies for implementing these fixes, and other solutions that can improve the delivery of safer emergency care in the Territory.
Later this year, ACEM will release its second State of Emergency (SOE) report, that will examine emergency care in regional, rural, and remote areas of Australia.
Background
ACEM is the peak body for emergency medicine in Australia and New Zealand, responsible for training emergency physicians and advancement of professional standards. www.acem.org.au
Media Contact
Melissa Howard [email protected] + 61 427 621 857.