This study shows that there was a 22% needs-based shortfall of health workforce in the Northern Territory (NT) relative to the burden of disease and injury between 2014-2018. The current health workforce level did not meet the needs for health protection, health care and maintenance of the NT population health. This important public health service issue is a matter of urgency.

This report describes the morbidity and total BOD (burden of disease) for the Northern Territory (NT) Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations between 2014 and 2018 and updates three previous NT BOD studies (1994–1998, 1999–2003 and 2004–2013).

The current study presents the results of life expectancy, years of life lost (YLL), all-cause and cause specific mortality in the Northern Territory (NT) for the past twenty years from 1999 to 2018. It describes 219 causes of deaths from the NT burden of disease and injury (BOD) study by counting deaths, measuring YLL and life expectancy for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations. Life expectancy, mortality and YLL are important indicators for health outcomes and health need assessments. Life expectancy at birth is widely accepted as a headline indicator of population health, which measures the number of years an average person is expected to live at birth based on current public health and mortality patterns. YLL is the fatal BOD measure for premature deaths using the age at death linked with the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard life expectancies. This study focused on the five-year period from 2014 to 2018 and compares the results with those from the three previous NT BOD studies, conducted since 1999. Underlying cause and nine additional causes of death were used to analyse deaths by disease groups, developed by WHO and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare for BOD studies. This study compares life expectancy, mortality and fatal BOD between NT subpopulations and the total Australian population by key demographic and geographic variables including age, sex, Aboriginal status and NT health region. The results of this study will provide valuable information to inform health policy, service planning, long-term investment and economic development in the NT.

This report presents the results of a departmental project which analysed the PPHs in the NT during the 2017-18 financial year and of a time trend since 2005-06.

This report is the Burden of disease (BOD) and injury study for the Northern Territory (NT). The report provides a comprehensive assessment of years of life loss (YLL), and years lived with disability (YLD) due to disease and injury over the period from 2004 to 2013. It includes information on the health care needs of Territorians by major disease and injury category and by demographic characteristics (age, sex and Aboriginality), comparisons with the national average using age standardised YLL rates.

The report provides an overview and trends on alcohol-attributable hospital admissions and alcohol-related emergency department presentations. The report also provides information on trends in alcohol-related emergency department presentations for five NT public hospitals.

The objective of this project was to ascertain and validate the costs of dialysis in the Top End in the 2011/2 and 2012/3 financial years at a service level. The report was completed in 2014. The study found: • The average cost per same-day HD was estimated at $563 in 2011/12 and $559 in 2012/13 for the Nightcliff Renal Unit. • These estimates were just below the Australian national activity based costing estimates ($577 in 2010/11 and $563 in 2011/12). • Average episode costs for the combined 2011/12 and 2012/13 were also estimated for home HD ($410), peritoneal dialysis ($168), and HD performed at Palmerston ($545) and Tiwi Islands ($741) satellite clinics.

This report is the fatal part of the third burden of disease (BOD) study for the Northern Territory (NT), and applies the methodology used in the most recent Australian BOD study. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of years of life loss (YLL) due to disease and injury over the period from 2004 to 2013. It includes information on the health care needs of Territorians by major disease and injury category and by demographic characteristics (age, sex and Aboriginality), comparisons with the national average using age standardised YLL rates. This document can be found at http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=60129550176

This study provides an estimate of NT RRT service provision from 2001 to 2012 and projects future service demand from 2013 to 2022.

This report examines hospitalisations, emergency department (ED) presentations and deaths related to injury for the periods 2001-2011, 2003-2011 and 1997-2006 respectively. It is the third injury study prepared by the Department of Health for the Northern Territory (NT) population.

Medicare is the Australian Government’s universal health insurance scheme and reimburses the cost of primary care services principally provided by General Practitioners (GP). The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is a parallel publicly funded plan, which subsidises a wide range of prescribed medicines. In 2012, a total payment of $131 million ($100 million in Medicare and $31 million in PBS) was made on behalf of the Northern Territory (NT) residents.

This fact sheet updates previously reported rates and trends in injury-related mortality and hospital admission in the NT.

The Northern Territory (NT) medical workforce model and the NT nursing workforce model project the requirement for, and supply of, medical practitioners and registered nurses and midwives (nurses) from 2006 to 2022. The models were produced as part of the Health Workforce Modelling Project established by the Strategic Workforce Committee of the Department of Health and Families (DHF) to inform workforce planning by projecting future numbers of health professionals in the NT. Three reports have been produced under the project. This report presents projections from the medical and nursing models and discusses key issues identified by the modelling. The two other reports provide a technical description and more detail on the outputs from the models. This report is structured as follows: first, the approach for modelling the NT health workforce is discussed. Second, the data parameters of the model are outlined and issues with current data sources noted. Third, baseline projections of demand and supply are presented for the medical and nursing workforces and key influences on the projections discussed. Pressure points with regard to specialty, subgroups within the population and regional areas are then investigated and the level of the current NT health workforce compared with the national average. Finally, the implications of the modelling are discussed and summarised.

The Northern Territory Medical Workforce Model (the medical model) projects the requirement for, and supply of, medical practitioners from 2006 to 2022. The medical model was produced as part of the Health Workforce Modelling Project established by the Strategic Workforce Committee of the Department of Health and Families (DHF) to inform workforce planning by projecting future numbers of health professionals in the Northern Territory (NT).

This report investigated whether there has been a change in the NT’s relative circumstances since the end of the previous study published in 2005 by extending the analysis of trends in MBS and PBS utilisation to include the period between 2004-05 and 2008-09.

This report is the second burden of disease (BOD) study for the Northern Territory (NT), and applies the methodology used in the most recent Australian BOD study. The report provides a comprehensive assessment for 177 conditions over the period from 1999 to 2003. It includes information on the health care needs of Territorians by major disease and injury category and by demographic characteristics (age, sex and Aboriginality), comparisons with the national average using age standardised disability adjusted life years (DALY) rates, and the contribution of 17 risk factors for the common conditions. The risk factors include low socio-economic status, obesity, physical inactivity, tobacco and alcohol. This document is based on The burden of disease and injury in Australia 2003 by S Begg, T Vos, B Barker, C Stevenson, L Stanley and AD Lopez, Canberra, Aust. Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007, which can be found at http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10317.

This study of mobility among Northern Territory nurses and midwives (including employment of overseas-qualified nurses in the Northern Territory of Australia) has been undertaken in three parts. A team from the School for Social and Policy Research at Charles Darwin University has been responsible for interviewing nurses and midwives and using that to prepare a questionnaire that explores motivations for coming to the NT, staying, or leaving the NT workforce. The Health Gains Planning branch of the Department of Health and Families has been responsible for analysing statistical data on turnover rates and determining the economic costs of nurse and midwife turnover. The report itself is provided by Charles Darwin University for consideration by the Department of Health and Families who will respond to recommendations based on this and other complementary information.

This fact sheet provides updated information on Medicare and PBS usage in the NT as well as recent estimates of the cost of delivering primary care in remote NT communities. It makes the point that Medicare presently subsidises services that are delivered by general practitioners, which are absent in remote communities, where primary care services are delivered by remote area nurses and Aboriginal health workers whose services aren't eligible for Medicare benefits.

This study presents estimates of the cost of providing primary health care to remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory for a number of common conditions. These conditions are the metabolic syndrome related diseases (hypertension, diabetes, ischaemic heart disease and renal disease), chronic lung disease, well children under five years of age, and antenatal care. The aim of the project was to inform the development of proposed Medicare items that will improve access for Aboriginal populations in remote areas to mainstream primary health care funding.

This study provides a comprehensive comparison of the Medicare and PBS utilisation levels in the Northern Territory compared to the other States/Territories for the eleven years from 1993/94 to 2003/04. The Medicare and PBS services, payments and expenditure data were obtained mainly from the Health Insurance Commission and Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing either via accessing on-line datacubes or by special requests. The estimated resident populations are from Australian Bureau of Statistics reports. Direct and indirect age standardisation methods were applied as part of the statistical analyses.