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Northern Territory Audit of Surgical Mortality (NTASM)

NTASM is an external, independent, peer review audit of the process of care associated with surgically related deaths in the Northern Territory.

The Northern Territory Audit of Surgical Mortality (NTASM) began in June 2010. It is funded by Northern Territory Department of Health. The Northern Territory public and private hospitals currently participating are:

  1. Royal Darwin Hospital
  2. Alice Springs Hospital
  3. Darwin Private Hospital
  4. Katherine District Hospital
  5. Gove District Hospital
  6. Palmerston Regional Hospital
  7. Tennant Creek Hospital

The Northern Territory Department of Health provides members to a NTASM Management Committee. The committee reviews de-identified, quantitative reports so it can further improve and reform health provision in Northern Territory. It follows methodology established and refined by similar projects that are concurrently running in Australian Capital Territory (ACTASM), Queensland (QASM), South Australia (SAASM), Tasmania (TASM), Victoria (VASM) and Western Australia (WAASM). NTASM is administered from the QASM office. All audits function under the umbrella of the Australian and New Zealand Audits of Surgical Mortality (ANZASM).

ANZASM, as an audit process, fulfils the following criteria:

  1. it is independent
  2. it is external
  3. it is peer-review
  4. it is systematic
  5. it is routine
  6. it is objective
  7. it is confidential (all audits are covered by qualified privilege at a commonwealth level).