Data released this week on emergency department care reaffirms Tasmanians aren't getting access to emergency care when and where they need it, with a disturbingly high number of deaths on arrival at our hospitals compared to other states across the country.
This is devastating for Tasmanians and our dedicated healthcare workers who are under incredible pressure working tirelessly for people in our emergency departments.
The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare data shows fewer than half of all 'emergency' presentations are seen within the clinically recommended waiting time, with only 43 per cent of 'urgent' presentations being seen on time.
The most disturbing data was the number of patients 'deceased on arrival' at Tasmanian emergency departments - with a shocking 288 patients in this category in the 2021-22 financial year.
This is more than anywhere else in the country on a per-presentation basis and second only to NSW in pure numerical terms. In Victoria, the number of people in this category was 60.
We know the Tasmanian Ambulance Service is incredibly under-resourced and under-staffed, with our hard-working paramedics carrying an unacceptably high load, and these figures simply add to the concerns about access to timely emergency care across Tasmania.
The Liberal government has gloated this week about its elective surgery blitz - but what they fail to point out is that the blitz is merely a band-aid measure to address the waiting lists that have become staggeringly long on their watch.
The Premier and part-time Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff needs to stop obsessing about his $750 million football stadium in Hobart and start getting the basics right across our health system for all Tasmanians.
Anita Dow MP
Shadow Health Minister
