The Finocchiaro CLP Government will equip 150 staff with duress alarms and upgrade air conditioning for the increased comfort at Royal Darwin Hospital.
The Finocchiaro CLP Government is protecting frontline health workers with personal duress alarms to be rolled out at Royal Darwin Hospital and Palmerston Regional Hospital. CLP Government is boosting security and protecting our frontline heath staff with personal duress alarms to rollout at Royal Darwin Hospital as part of the 2026 budge
The Finocchiaro CLP Government is boosting security and protecting our frontline heath staff with personal duress alarms to rollout at Royal Darwin Hospital as part of the 2026 budget.
Minister for Health Steve Edgington said the safety of frontline staff was a top priority for the CLP Government.
"Violence against our nurses and any frontline workers will not be tolerated. There is no place for this behaviour in the Northern Territory, and the safety of our heath staff is paramount.
"The Finocchiaro CLP Government continues to focus on safety as our top priority, and we are protecting our frontline health workers who do not deserve to be treated like punching bags or threatened by people.
"The CLP is bringing in these alarms that the last Labor Government failed to do," Mr Edgington said.
NT Health will purchase 150 duress alarms for Emergency Department (ED) staff at Royal Darwin Hospital and Palmerston Regional Hospital to keep on them at all times.
The duress alarms are expected to be in use by as soon as possible.
The duress alarms roll out can be expanded to EDs in other NT Hospitals in the future.
This is in addition to duress alarms that are located on walls and under desks that staff can use when feeling under threat.
"When we came to government, we strengthened laws to ensure frontline workers are protected and said our work was not set and forgot and the job was not done. We remain committed to ensuring the safety for our frontline workers and that offenders face consequences," Mr Edgington said.
The CLP bought in laws so that offenders convicted of assaulting frontline workers face a mandatory minimum sentence of three months' imprisonment.
Mr Edgington said the 2026 budget also included a further $500,000 project to improve the air-conditioning system at Royal Darwin Hospital. The funding will be used to remove and replace air-conditioning coils across several hospital floors, including the maternity ward. This in addition to work already being done to install a replacement fan for the air-conditioning unit.
"While the air con in the birthing suite at RDH remains at expected temperature, the CLP will complete upgrades to the air con to replace air-conditioning coils across the maternity ward and other floors.
"We know that RDH is an ageing hospital, and these works will help ensure all patients, including women giving birth and babies, are comfortable," Mr Edgington said.
Work to replace the fan and install the air-conditioning coils will occur during the dry season when the temperature is cooler overnight and to minimise disruption.
