The incoming Northern Territory government must move to place exercise program experts in hospitals, as three quarters of Territorians fail to meet physical activity guidelines and chronic disease rates rise.
With one month to go until polling day, the nation’s leading voice on exercise and sports science is calling for at least one full-time Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) to be appointed in every public hospital in the NT.
Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) Policy & Advocacy Manager Scot MacDonald said AEPs were experts in addressing physical inactivity, a prime contributor to chronic disease which impacts three-quarters of territorians.
The university-trained allied health professionals aren’t being utilised in the NT, despite their ability to prescribe evidence-based exercise programs to prevent, treat and manage both physical and mental health conditions.
“With three quarters of Territorians not meeting Australian physical activity guidelines, it’s time to take action,” Mr MacDonald said.
“Accredited exercise clinicians are the most effective practitioners for addressing physical inactivity, a leading risk factor for several diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis, and premature death.
“They are experts in designing and delivering individualised exercise-based interventions to prevent and manage disease, which ultimately help people participate in activities at home, school, work and in their community.
“ESSA believes the incoming government can improve Territorians’ health and wellbeing by embedding multidisciplinary teams of allied health professionals into primary health care and recruiting at least one AEP for each of the territory’s six public hospitals.”
Mr MacDonald said the need to prioritise physical activity interventions in primary health care was underscored by Australian Bureau of Statistics 2022 state and territory data that showed of the 250,000 residents in the Northern Territory:
- 74.3% (or 134,800) people had at least one long-term health condition
- 45% had at least one chronic condition (up from 35% in 2011-12)
- 21.6% experienced mental and behavioural conditions
- 15.1% experienced back pain
- 11.2% lived with arthritis
- 5.7% lived with diabetes
- 1.6% lived with cancer
- 24.6% (or 35,400) of people aged 15 years and over met physical activity guidelines
Mr MacDonald said AEPs played a crucial role in multidisciplinary allied health teams by delivering tailored exercise and behavioural change programs, with their interventions designed to prevent and manage disease or injury to restore function, health and wellbeing.
“They can work collaboratively to improve mental health outcomes and are highly effective in treating complex chronic conditions, with evidence showing they deliver positive health results particularly among patients with diabetes and cancer,” he said.
The public can access services delivered by AEPs through Medicare, NDIS, DVA, workers compensation schemes and private health insurers.
ESSA members in the NT report that as of July 2024 only one was employed in the territory’s public health system.
“While it is common practice for public hospitals right around Australia to have accredited exercise professionals, this is not the case in the Northern Territory,” Mr MacDonald said.
“To achieve the goals of the NT Health Strategic Plan 2023-2028 and the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement, it really needs to be a top priority for the government to embed these experts in all six of the territory’s hospitals.
“We look forward to meeting with all election candidates to discuss this unmissable opportunity to achieve systemic change in healthcare and, ultimately, better health outcomes for all Territorians.”