In 2018, the Hodgman Majority Liberal Government has continued to make health a top priority, and we have delivered results.
Since the election, we have recruited more than 200 additional health staff, including 130 full-time equivalent nurses and 20 doctors.
We have been steadfastly focused on fixing a health system that was left badly damaged by Labor and the Greens, as well as dealing with increased demand on our hospitals.
The Opposition can pull all the stunts it likes, but while they have talked, we have worked and delivered.
We have announced an additional $105 million for hospitals – a demonstration that we will continue to respond and act when demand on our health system continues to grow. This is on top of the Government’s previously announced $465 million investment in health in this year’s budget.
This year, we have delivered:
- A new 22-bed ward at the Hobart Repatriation Hospital, which is helping to reduce pressure on the RHH.
- A new Tasmanian Health Service Act and stronger local management in our hospitals.
- Recruitment processes underway for 42 additional paramedics in rural and regional Tasmania.
- 30 new drug and alcohol beds commissioned across Tasmania.
Importantly, we are on track to deliver our long-term plan for health, as well as providing immediate and short-term solutions. This includes our record $757 million over the next five-and-a-half years to open nearly 300 new hospital beds, 1300 additional health staff and new services.
The Royal Hobart Hospital Redevelopment is less than a year away, which will provide 250 new beds and hundreds more staff, which we are funding.
The Hodgman Liberal Government is building Tasmania’s future, working so that all Tasmanians can receive the right health care, in the right place, at the right time.
Our health targets include:
- Reducing emergency ambulance response times to national average waiting time by 2025
- Reducing smoking rates to below the national average by 2025, and halve the gap between State and national youth smoking rates (for under 25s)
- Reducing Tasmania’s rate of obesity to below the national average by 2025
- A 20% reduction in the suicide rate by 2022
- 90% of Tasmanians being treated within clinically recommended timeframes for their elective surgery by the end of the next four year term of Government
- 90% of emergency presentations being in and out of the Emergency Department within four hours by 2022
See all our targets at https://www.tas.liberal.org.au/sites/default/files/BuildingYourFuture.pdf
