Amid concerns crime is sparking a healthcare staffing emergency in Alice Springs, doctors and nurses say they are exhausted.
According to the nurses' union, remote public and Aboriginal-controlled health clinics are seeing vacancy rates of more than 60 per cent.
"A lot of staff are saying, 'Why should I continue to work as permanent? Why don't I resign and come back as agency and I'll get paid triple what I am now?" she said. "They may need to look at closing maybe two or even three clinics in the Central Australian area," Ms Hatcher said."It just blows the budget out, because the hospital has to spend a lot of money on locum fees, rather than regular staff wages," he said.While this staff shortage is biting across the board, primary care is feeling it particularly keenly.
This had caused many doctors and nurses to flee private general practices and Aboriginal-controlled health services., a decline in medical students choosing general practice, and lower pay compared to other specialties were also to blame.NT Health said a domestic and international recruitment drive was underway to attract clinical staff to the Territory.
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