The Tasmanian Liberal Government is investing more funding than any Tasmanian government in history into the State's health system, the latest Report on Government Services confirms.
The Report on Government Services 2023 tells a story of a continued commitment by the Tasmanian Government to build a better health care system for all Tasmanians.
Premier, Minister for Health and Mental Health and Wellbeing, Jeremy Rockliff, welcomed the release of the Report and acknowledged the significant efforts undertaken by Tasmanian health staff over the past year.
"What this report shows us is that the Tasmanian Liberal Government's record investment into health in the 2022/23 Budget of $11.2 billion over four years is already delivering positive results.
"We look forward to continuing to deliver on our positive, clinician-led, patient-centred plan so that more Tasmanians can receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time."
"We are investing more in our public hospitals than ever before. The Tasmanian Government is spending more on public hospital services per person than the national average with funding increasing over the years to reflect the increased demand.
"Despite national workforce challenges and shortages, we continue to boost staffing in our hospitals through targeted recruitment campaigns to attract skilled staff including nursing, medical and allied health staff, and mental health services.
"The latest data shows that Tasmania's ratio of full-time equivalent staff per 1,000 persons remains well above the national average, representing the Government's strong investment which has seen more than 1500 FTE – the majority being front-line clinical staff – employed since July 2021.
"Additionally, as more staff are employed, Tasmania continues to increase the number of hospital beds to help relieve the pressure on our hospital system. Since 2018, hospital beds in Tasmania have increased by 227 additional beds. The number of hospital beds per 1,000 population in Tasmania has consistently increased since 2013-14 and sits well above the national average.
"While the Government will continue to open more beds, employ more staff, and upgrade our hospitals, we know that demand will continue to increase due to difficulty accessing primary health care.
"Whilst primary care is a responsibility of the Federal Government, the Tasmanian Liberal Government continues to step up to progress innovative solutions that will increase access to primary care, including GPs – particularly in rural and regional areas. This includes our $8 million GP After Hours Support Initiative, as well as the jointly-funded $13 million pilot of a Single Employer Model for rural generalist and rural GPs in training, which will make it more attractive for medical graduates to specialise in General Practice and work in rural and regional areas.
"We continue to see positive progress in driving down our elective surgery waiting list, showing our $196.4 million Statewide Elective Surgery Plan is working so that more Tasmanians receive the care they need within the clinically recommended timeframes. During 2021-22, more than 20,000 elective surgeries were delivered to public patients state-wide, an 11 per cent increase on the amount delivered in 2020-21. The elective surgery waiting list is in recent months at its lowest level since 2018.
"The Report on Government Services also shows significant progress achieved when it comes to supporting the mental health of Tasmanians.
"Just last year, I elevated suicide prevention and mental health to a Premier's priority, demonstrating our government's strong commitment, and I welcome the improvements made through our Mental Health Reform Program.
"The 2021-22 data confirms that this work is delivering substantial improvements in relation to the rates and duration of acute inpatient stays in Tasmania when compared to 2013-2014.
"We know that hospital is not necessarily the most appropriate place for a person seeking mental health support and by investing in our innovative community mental health care services - such as PACER and Mental Health Hospital in the Home - we can provide people with a more appropriate care pathway."
