The changing face of health and community services in the Palmerston region
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The health and community service needs of the people of the Palmerston region are changing. The region is one of the Territory's fastest growing areas and has one of its youngest populations.
In recent years, health and community services in Palmerston have improved and expanded.
We are making sure that our services continue to keep pace with the changes.
Over the next six months, the Department of Health and Community Services will introduce new services and improve and expand existing ones.
Better Health Services
[New] Better Child and Maternal Health services
A new Child and Maternal Health Nurse will begin before the end of the year for the region, and Obstetric and Gynaecology visits will be increased.
[Expanded] Postnatal Home visiting services
Visiting staff will provide follow-up visits (or extended home visiting) to vulnerable families' homes after birth to provide this early intervention service.
[New] Rapid Admission and Planning Unit (RAPU)
The Royal Darwin Hospital's new Rapid Admission and Planning Unit is planned to commence in 2007. It will include a Social Worker, Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist who will provide support to hospital patients returning home to Palmerston and near rural areas (eg. Humpty Doo, Acacia, Darwin River).
[Expanded] Occupational Therapists and Home Discharge service
RDH patients will be assisted by the Occupational Therapists prior to discharge with home visits to assess safety. The service is being expanded beyond Palmerston to include Humpty Doo, Acacia and Darwin River. Occupational Therapists continue to provide outpatient clinics three times per week for eligible RDH clients.
Better Community Services
[New] Breastscreening Service for Palmerston
Starting next year, breastscreening services will be offered to Palmerston region women on a yearly basis.
[Expanded] Homebirthing service
The existing service will be expanded so more women from the Palmerston region may birth at home.
[Reintroduced] Dieticians and nutritionists
Royal Darwin Hospital staff from the Dietetics and Nutrition Department will provide an outpatient clinic once per month for clients from Palmerston and rural areas. This will help residents with chronic disease and those on specialised medical nutritional programs.
[New] Alcohol and Other Drugs services
Medical and counselling services provided fortnightly for needy clients like young mothers and the financially disadvantaged. Withdrawal support services, opiate pharmacotherapy and counselling to be expanded.
[Improved] Mental Health
Two staff to provide services to clients of the Palmerston region through home visiting and appointments at the Palmerston Community Care Centre, with plans to further expand the service.
[New and improved] Support for young adults
Post School Options in Palmerston to provide care for young adults with high disability support needs.
[New and Improved] Children's Development
Occupational Therapist and Speech Pathologist to provide early intervention services to children in the pre-school years. Service to include Knuckey's Lagoon Indigenous community, working with Larrakia Nation's Save the Children Fund.
[Improved] HACC
Expansion of HACC service provided by Lovell Home Care Service to Palmerston, Litchfield, Coomalie and Cox and Finniss Shires.
[New] Support for senior Territorians
Government funding of Australian Red Cross Telecross Service which monitors, by telephone, registered frail older people and people with a disability on a regular basis.
What about GP Services?
The Federal Government has responsibility for General Practitioner Services. However, for a number of years the NT Government paid for an after-hours GP service at the Farrar Medical Centre. This was because there used to be very limited access to after-hours services in Palmerston. However, things have changed: today there are seven general practices in the region, four of which provide after-hours services.
At the same time, the Federal Government has a new initiative for investing in after-hours services to help restore after-hours GP care as a valued and accessible service in metropolitan and regional Australia.
The NT Government will work closely with the Federal Government to support existing services and development of new ones. In addition, don't forget the NT Government's NT HealthDirect (1800 086 026), which provides a 24-hour telephone health advice service.