The resignations of one third of Royal Darwin Hospital's general surgeons have clouded a new deal between the Northern Territory and Queensland to staff a regional emergency response centre.
Five of the hospital's 15 surgeons have resigned as a result of an unresolved pay dispute, which began about 15 months ago.
Of the remaining surgeons at the hospital, it is understood two are likely to give notice.
The resignations were made public this week, as the federal government announced a new partnership between Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Royal Darwin Hospital's National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre.
The centre, which has been operating since 2005, coordinates emergency responses in the Top End and draws on specialist clinicians and surgeons from RDH when a disaster strikes.
Under the agreement, the PA will deploy up to 40 additional medical staff to Darwin to assist them.
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon, in Brisbane on Thursday to announce the agreement, said Australia would be more prepared than ever in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist activity in northern Australia or the Asia-Pacific region.
NT Health Minister Kon Vatskalis told reporters in Brisbane the resignations would not jeopardise the safety of patients needing surgery.
"The department has put contingency plans in place, and there won't be a problem," he said.
A spokeswoman for RDH said the NT health department would hold a meeting with seven of the hospital's 15 surgeons, including those who had resigned, this Saturday in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
Mr Vatskalis said the surgeons who had resigned would not be leaving the hospital for three months, adding he doubted elective surgery would be affected.
"I'm sure by then the negotiations will be completed and we will have a successful outcome," he said.
The surgeons who have resigned reportedly claim their pay is at least 25 per cent lower than that in most other jurisdictions.
Concerns have been raised that a pay increase for general surgeons could lead other hospital specialists to seek a new enterprise bargaining agreement.
The Territory government would need to consider the demands of all specialists in order to attract doctors to Darwin, where the cost of living is higher than anywhere else in the country, Australian Medical Association NT branch vice president Robert Parker told AAP.
Mr Vatskalis said the partnership with Queensland would go ahead as planned.
"Darwin is in a situation to evacuate people and it is the ideal location to stabilise people, but what we want to do is create a pool of doctors and nurses who we can draw upon when these disasters happen," he said.
"There are nurses at the PA in Darwin who are already training, so we are a step ahead."
The NT Country Liberals claim the resignations are further proof the Labor government is losing control of the Territory's health system.
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