ACEM President Dr Simon Judkins said: “Any investment in our health infrastructure or services that benefit patients receiving care in emergency departments or the wider health sector should be welcomed.
“We maintain, though, challenges faced by our members and the specialty of emergency medicine are constantly evolving, such as overcrowding, and welcome working with the Government to look at strategies that deliver quality patient outcomes.”
Northern Territory Faculty Chair Dr Stephen Gourley said: “Spending at Alice Springs Hospital and the Royal Darwin Hospital will hopefully provide more beds, which will bring to relief to the emergency departments, which are often overstretched due to demand.”
Banned Drinker Register
Emergency department staff in the Northern Territory too often witness the devastating effects of alcohol consumption.
Dr Gourley welcomed the $15.5 million to provide assessment, withdrawal and specialised alcohol treatment services to assist people with alcohol misuse issues and dependence, associated with the reintroduction of the Banned Drinker Register (BDR).
“We reiterate that we would like to see an evaluation of the effectiveness of the BDR, including the impact of increased police presence at bottle shops,” Dr Gourley said.
Contact
Andre Khoury
ACEM Public Affairs Manager
03 8679 8813
0498 068 023
[email protected]