New data from the State Government shows that over 55 thousand Tasmanians are waiting to see a specialist across Tasmania, with wait times at the Mersey Hospital and North-West some of the worst in the state.
The latest figures show people with the worst wait times to see a gastroenterologist, gynaecologist, respiratory specialist and urologist.
Even the most urgent respiratory patients are waiting an alarming 69 days to see a specialist, and for non-priority patients, the wait is well over two years. For people with breathing difficulties or conditions, this is clearly unacceptable.
For a gastroenterologist, the wait is even longer, with patients in the urgent category waiting 103 days, and non-priority patients languishing for an extraordinary 1090 days. That's a three-year wait.
Long wait times to see a specialist not only have a detrimental impact on the lives of Tasmanians but also on our health system with increasing demand on Emergency care and Departments, General Practice and our hospitals.
The crisis across our health system is getting worse not better under the part time leadership of Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff, who is just not getting the basics right for Tasmanians.
Tonight, our paramedics will take strike action again at the Mersey community hospital calling for action on ramping.
Premier Rockliff needs to get his priorities right and come up with a comprehensive plan to fix the crisis across our health system.
Anita Dow MP
Shadow Minister for Health
