NT Health has deployed the latest release of its Acacia electronic patient management system, with further improvements to clinical documentation, reporting and SMS messaging planned.
Release 36 was deployed on August 19 this year – delivering maintenance, performance and workflow improvements across key clinical areas, the Department of Corporate and Digital Development told Pulse+IT.
Following the upgrade, Acacia was installed across a new 32-bed ward at Royal Darwin Hospital, enabling the ward to become operational.
The department told Pulse+IT Acacia continued to be maintained and enhanced to improve its reliability, usability and supportability.
Routine software lifecycle management by vendor InterSystems would continue to provide maintenance and security updates, bug fixes, platform improvements and new functionality.
The department said releases were tested and their timing agreed with NT Health before implementation.
Further improvements to reports and dashboards, clinical documentation and SMS messaging are planned through the regular release management cycle, alongside additional fixes and platform improvements.
The Department of Corporate and Digital Development and NT Health are continuing to balance new capabilities with system stability, risk reduction and sustainable support.
Territory-wide rollout
Acacia is based on InterSystems’ TrakCare platform and has been progressively rolled out across the Territory as part of the NT government’s Core Clinical Systems Renewal Program.
The system was first deployed at Katherine Hospital in 2022, followed by Gove District Hospital, Royal Darwin Hospital and Palmerston Regional Hospital.
The rollout to Alice Springs and Tennant Creek hospitals in August 2025 brought all NT public hospitals onto Acacia.
The system’s implementation has faced challenges, including the temporary suspension of Acacia in Royal Darwin Hospital’s emergency department in early 2024 while changes were made to the system.
Acacia returned to the Royal Darwin emergency department in November 2025.
The project has also been examined by the NT Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, which published its report into the Acacia digital patient record system in August.
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