Expectant Territory families will benefit from $10m investment in upgraded maternity services at Royal Darwin Hospital, backed by the Finocchiaro CLP Government and the Australian Government.
The upgrades will refurbish the existing birthing suites, maternity ward and new-born services.
The maternity upgrades are an important part of the CLP Government’s commitment to restoring our unique Territory lifestyle.
Royal Darwin Hospital’s maternity services will receive a $10 million upgrade after the Finocchiaro CLP Government secured a partnership with the Australian Government to improve care for Territory mothers and babies.
Under the arrangement, the $10m upgrades will refurbish the existing birthing suites, maternity ward and new-born services.
The upgrades of the eight birthing suites will provide private bathrooms for all suites, add a new three-bed assessment area and a private waiting space for labouring mothers as well as refurbish the parents’ kitchen.
The funding will provide essential bathroom upgrades and the installation of a general nursery in the maternity ward, as well adding a family waiting room outside of the birthing and maternity suites.
There will also be upgrades to maternity rooms and bathroom facilities, which can accommodate up to 30 mothers at a time.
A separate bereavement room outside of the maternity suites will also be part of the upgrades to assist people going through a tragic loss of a baby, while a lactation room in the neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and a NICU staff bathroom will be included in the upgrades as well.
The funding will also support the upgrade of centralised foetal monitoring systems at Royal Darwin Hospital. In addition, these systems will be implemented in all maternity centres across the Territory for the first time.
This will enable obstetricians and midwives in Katherine, Gove, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek to provide state of the art, foetal monitoring to their maternity patients and access clinical support in real time from supporting tertiary centres.
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said her Government had fought hard to win federal funding for the vital upgrades and she thanked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for agreeing to the deal for improved maternity facilities.
“The Finocchiaro CLP Government is committed to delivering better healthcare for Territory families and this is a great step forward following ongoing discussions with Canberra,” the Chief Minister said.
“I thank the Prime Minister for being here today and for listening to my Government’s arguments for this funding on behalf of the Territory.
“As part of the CLP Government’s commitment to restoring our unique Territory lifestyle, we are pleased that we have reached agreement with the Federal Government on these important upgrades to maternity services at Royal Darwin Hospital.
“Supporting Territorians with a better and stronger health system is central to making the Territory the best place to live, work, visit and invest.”
Minister for Health Steve Edgington said the infrastructure improvements were the first major changes for the maternity ward for many years.
“In our year of growth, certainty and security, the CLP Government is delivering these upgrades that previous Territory Labor governments failed to do,” Minister Edgington said.
“The CLP has been advocating for these upgrades with the federal government for some time, and we are pleased for Territory families that they are coming to fruition. This is a great outcome for the Territory.”
