The Department of Health is working in partnership with the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons to facilitate additional plastic surgery procedures at the Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) and Palmerston Regional Hospital (PRH).
The partnership sees Territorians able to access to some of Australian's best and brightest specialist surgeons in their time of need here at home across both hospital campuses.
Surgeons from the Society have raised their hands to participate in a two-year rolling roster of specialist plastic surgeons from across Australia.
As part of the rotation, the surgeons will complete six-week to three-month stints at RDH and PRH and in some instances relocate family for the duration of their stay.
Currently in its second rotation, the surgeons undertake a range of specialised plastic surgery procedures including procedures for trauma, burns, cancer and reconstruction.
Patients who suffer traumas in critical emergency settings will be able to access treatment they may have previously had to have travelled interstate for.
The Society has had around a dozen members indicating their desire to participate in the Darwin program and also creates training opportunities for local surgeons to further develop their skills.
As stated by Minister for Health, Natasha Fyles:
"All Territorians deserve access to high quality health care and services here at home, and our frontline health care workers do a fantastic job day in, day out.
"Partnerships such as this allow for locally delivered procedures that are even more specialised that what we are traditionally able to offer which is fantastic.
"It is also pleasing the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons have so much interest in the Darwin rotation; there will be no shortage of surgeons over the two year duration of this partnership."
As stated by Dr William Blake, Monash Health:
"Surgeons are aware of the need for specialist care on the ground in regional and especially indigenous communities; we want to establish plastic surgery training in the Top End as quickly as possible.
"I am looking forward to a broad scope of cases in Darwin including trauma, skin cancers, hand trauma and complex reconstructions and the opportunity to work with the indigenous community."
