One in three doctors thinking of deserting Top End
'No one wants to raise their kids where it's too hot to play outside', says Alice Springs' Dr Simon Quilty who carried out the survey
Soaring average temperatures in the NT are causing more than one third of doctors to consider heading to cooler climates, a survey shows.
Alice Springs senior staff specialist and researcher Dr Simon Quilty says the situation would exacerbate already existing medical workforce shortages in the Top End.
Maximum temperatures in the territory were almost 4°C hotter in December 2019 and January 2020 than the long-term average. In 2019, Katherine, recorded 54 days of temperatures above 40°C.
Last August, Katherine’s only GP clinic closed after its burnt-out founder GP Dr Peter Spafford decided to leave following years of trying to recruit more doctors.
