The Northern Territory Government has announced remote area nurses will now be accompanied by a trusted community member on after-hours call-outs.
The move follows a report into nurse safety commissioned after the death of nurse Gayle Woodford (pictured) in South Australia in March last year.
Dudley David Davey, 35, is charged with her murder and is due to appear in the Port Augusta Magistrates Court next week.
Sadly it’s not the only case either.
Numerous attacks on nurses
In April, a nurse was assaulted during an afternoon house call in the remote NT community of Wadeye. Police allege a man kicked and punched the 54-year-old woman to the ground, and kept attacking her even after she fell off a verandah until another resident intervened.
In another incident in August, a nurse was punched during a fight between patients in the Kimberley, while other nurses have reported feeling scared and vulnerable working alone.
The NT now says it will implement all of the report’s 14 recommendations, including updating its training programs on aggression minimisation and de-escalation procedures; securing clinics and staff accommodation; and fitting clinic vehicles with GPS tracking.
A group team of experienced tenured remote nurses will also be re-established to ensure a second nurse is available in communities.
But there was no word on funding for the extra nurses.
Paying the bills
Instead, it will be up to remote health centres to find the cash – not easy when most are struggling to support existing staff and services.
“It is acknowledged that this recommendation will have resource implications, particularly for the smaller communities in Central Australia,” the review says.
These recommendations are welcome, but if providers can’t fund them, what’s the point?
NT Minister for Health Natasha Fyles said it was important to learn from the tragedy of Ms Woodford’s death and better protect frontline staff. Let’s see the states and territories put their money where their mouth is.
