Debates Day 3 - Thursday 31 May 2001
Parliamentary Record 28
Debates for 8th Assembly 1997 - 2001; ParliamentNT; Parliamentary Record; 8th Assembly 1997 - 2001
2001-05-31
Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
English
Debates
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
Darwin
application/pdf
Attribution International 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/279080
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/419343
DEBATES - Thursday 31 May 2001 employment and economic sense. It is acknowledged that the Health and Community Services area faces a seemingly infinite need with a finite resource space. There is always more that can be done. It is also acknowledged that advancements in technology, highly skilled human resources and the vast scope of the health arena across the Territory come at a high cost. Therefore it is recognised that the need for capable stewardship of these significant taxpayers dollars and the important services they pay for is absolutely critical. As with all other Northern Territory government agencies, the 2001-02 budget for Territory Health Services has been prepared in accordance with Northern Territory Treasury guidelines for Working for Outcomes. This involves the establishment of output groups, individual outputs and performance measures for quantity, quality and timeliness. The new financial and performing management framework will provide an environment in which Territory Health Services can focus on the outputs that it has been funded to produce. The framework will ensure that resource allocation is directed towards achieving the results specified by government. 2001-02 is a transitional year moving, as it does, from cash to accrual accounting and budgeting. Territory Health Services has utilised the new organisational structure under Strategy 21 to develop its output groups. While these output groups are reported in the budget papers for the first time, they will be further refined and enhanced over time. Output Group 1 is Organisation Support which provides support to staff to deliver results through the strategic and effective use of the agencys workforce and its financial, technological and information resources. Output Group 2 is Hospital Services and it is the provision of acute and non-acute services to Territorians which are delivered through the Royal Darwin, Katherine, Gove, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs Hospitals. Due to the remoteness, the scattered population and the absence of alternative health care providers, Territory public hospitals fill numerous non-acute care service gaps in the community. Many of the performance measures used for hospital services output group reflect the national indicators. Output Group 3. The Community Health output group provides services to build the capacity for individuals, families and communities to maintain good health, enhance prevention and early intervention activities and strengthen community support systems for people requiring ongoing care. Output Group 4. The Family and Childrens Services output group includes assistance to communities to provide for the care and protection of children and young people and the promotion of the well-being of communities, families and individuals. Services will include childrens services, family support services, child protection, substitute care, adoption services, domestic violence and Aboriginal family violence services, sexual assault services and crisis support and accommodation. Output Group 5, the Aged and Disability Services output group, includes the provision of services to maximise community participation and independence of senior Territorians and people with a disability. Output Group 6, the Mental Services output group, encompasses accessible, innovative and culturally sensitive mental health services with an emphasis on consumer rights, community needs, high quality service and strategic resource allocation. Output Group 7 is the Environmental Health output group which aims to prevent physical, chemical, biological and radiological agents in the environment from adversely affecting the health of all Territorians. This group comprises the development of Aboriginal and general community environmental health standards and environmental health planning for sanitation and waste management, food safety, radiation health and poisons. Output Group 8, the Disease Control output group, indicates the provision of a range of services that monitor, control, prevent and in some cases eliminate communicable and non-communicable diseases in the Northern Territory. Output Group 9, the Health Promotion output group, encompasses health promotion services for all Territorians with a priority to improve the health of Aboriginal people. Output Group 10, the Alcohol and Other Drugs output group, promotes individual and community wellbeing as well as minimising the personal, social and economic costs associated with alcohol and other drug related harm in the Territory. Output Group 11 is a recurrent grant payment which is provided to the Menzies School of Health Research to assist its aim to help improve the health of people in northern and central Australia and regions to the near north through multidisciplinary research and education. 7788