Time spent on the ramp has been slashed as a result of the Tasmanian Government's Transfer of Care Procedure, an independent review has found.
The Transfer of Care protocol is ensuring Tasmanians are seen sooner, and securing better health outcomes.
Minister for Health, Jacquie Petrusma, hailed the outstanding results and said it is more proof that our Transfer of Care Procedure is working, with Tasmanians benefitting as a result.
"Between commencement of the Procedure on 22 April 2024 and March 2025, 85 per cent of Ambulance Tasmania arrivals statewide were released within 60 minutes of arrival," Minister Petrusma said.
"This is an outstanding improvement, and means ambulances are being released from hospitals back into the community and helping Tasmanians sooner, as highlighted in this independent report.
"I want to thank our dedicated healthcare staff who are making this possible and I am grateful for the contributions of all stakeholders.
"Importantly, the report backs up what we already know, with the latest data from Ambulance Tasmania showing ambulances spent 21,504 less hours ramped from May 2024 to April this year, a 67 per cent reduction compared to the same period the year prior.
"The amount of time that paramedics are spending at hospitals has also significantly reduced, from an average of 52.5 minutes in April 2024, to just 36.3 minutes in April 2025.
"While we know there will be fluctuations day to day, and week to week, our plan is clearly delivering better outcomes for Tasmanians and we will continue to take a measured approach as we progress our goal towards the national best-practice benchmark of 30-minutes.
"Under our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future, we are committed to improving outcomes for Tasmanian patients and ensuring paramedics are freed up to do what they do best."
Delivering on a key pledge from the 2024-25 State Election, the Transfer of Care Procedure was introduced in April 2024, following a lengthy consultation process with staff and unions across the Tasmanian health system.
The mid-term review of the Transfer of Care Procedure was commissioned by the Tasmanian Government to identify opportunities for continuous improvement after the first year of implementation.
The report was authored by Ms Lauren Sturgess, Director of Nursing and Midwifery at St George's Hospital in Sydney and an independent nursing expert, following focus groups and meetings held with staff and relevant unions across the State.
The report also made four recommendations, largely relating to process improvements through site action plans, data capture and policy and procedure for shared care during the Transfer of Care period.
The Department of Health will now work with staff and unions on the recommendations, with further consultation to occur in coming weeks.
The report is available on the Department of Health website.
