Royal Darwin Hospital experienced "capacity challenges" last week due to an increase in the number of patients requiring ongoing care, prompting a Code Yellow, signifying an internal emergency.
"The NT has the highest aged care occupancy rate at 92.2% and the longest hospital stays for patients awaiting aged care placement," a spokesperson for the NT Health told The Weekly Source.
"The NT also has fewer residential aged care beds per capita with 47.5 beds per 1000 people over 70 years of age, compared to the national average of 67.5 beds.
"On any given day, there are up to 80 long stay, aged care patients living in NT hospitals because there are no beds available in residential aged care."
During the election campaign, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged $60 million - half the total cost - for a 120-bed aged care home in Palmerston, 20km west of Darwin city centre. It was one of few aged care commitments made during the campaign.
Earlier this month, The Weekly SOURCE reported older hospital patients in NSW increased 50% with aged care beds full. In May, 80 South Australian patients meant to be in aged care were moved to a luxury hotel yet another 263 remained in hospital beds.
