Medical staff shortages, limited operating hours and long waiting lists at local hospitals continue to drive innovation at Darwin Day Surgery. Owned and operated by two registered nurses, with a surgeon as business partner, the surgery opened in 2007 as an alternative to Darwin’s two main hospitals for procedures such as minor plastic and hand surgery and skin cancer removal.

Clients book their surgeries on a day convenient to them and are operated on, recovered and discharged within two hours of arrival.

Darwin Day Surgery is now building a new, two-theatre facility in Palmerston to broaden non-elective services and further reduce waiting lists. To fund the new venture, the business negotiated with a developer to build and sell them the facility as part of a new healthcare precinct. In return, Darwin Day Surgery introduced the developer to allied health professionals to take tenancy of remaining space, introducing more medical services to the growing region.

“Darwin Day Surgery is able to provide a cheaper and timely alternative to hospitalisation, and is a model for the future pathway of health care in the Northern Territory.” – Joanne Kovac, Director.