Dead patients mistakenly scheduled for surgery in NT hospitals amid Acacia IT failures

The Australian Medical Association says the Northern Territory’s public hospitals are booking operations for deceased patients because of problems with the $335 million Acacia health-IT system.

A recent AMA submission to a parliamentary inquiry reveals that the Acacia health-IT system, costing $335 million, is erroneously scheduling surgeries for deceased patients in Northern Territory public hospitals. The issue is part of a series of failures that also include inaccurate next-of-kin information being imported into patient files. John Zorbas, president of the AMA’s NT branch, described an intensive audit effort required to fix the problem, noting that clinicians have had to abandon routine work to address the glitches.

He added that many doctors are reluctant to raise concerns because they doubt the protection offered by NT Health, the Department of Corporate Digital Development, and existing whistle-blower mechanisms. The AMA proposes reconfiguring Acacia to serve only as a patient-administration tool, removing its clinical information capabilities. The inquiry, launched in February 2025, has been hampered by these reporting fears, which the AMA says could ultimately harm patients.