Michael Ferguson,Minister for Health
GPs play a vital role in our health system, and it was great to see their training firsthand at the General Practice Training Tasmania session for Registrar GPs in Hobart today.
The Tasmanian Health Service provides many GPTT GP registrars with access to mandatory hospital rotations, such as medicine, surgery, paediatrics, emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, and anaesthetics. The THS also provides opportunities for GPTT GP registrars to complete additional skills posts in other areas, including palliative care, emergency medicine, anaesthetics, and paediatrics.
The Tasmanian Government works collaboratively with a range of key stakeholders to maximise GP coverage and service availability across the state, including organisations such as Health Recruitment Plus and Primary Health Tasmania, and in partnership with the University of Tasmanian through the Centre for Rural Health.
In fact, Tasmania has more GPs than ever before, and a high number of GPs per capita when compared to other states, recent data shows.
Just recently, GPs were heavily involved in the Government's successful free meningococcal immunisation campaign, which saw more than 96,000 vaccines delivered across the state.
The Hodgman Liberal Government will continue to invest in and support primary and preventative health initiatives, like the Community Rapid Response Service and our Healthy Tasmania Strategic Plan, which involves working in partnership with communities to improve their health and wellbeing.
Our $8.6 million Healthy Tasmania plan has been extended to 2022 and is in addition to the $70 million that goes into preventative health programs each year.
