The Tasmanian Government is taking immediate, medium and longer-term action to reduce demand and ease the impact of long stay patients at the Launceston General Hospital.
Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Bridget Archer, said the Government was working with private providers to bring additional beds online today.
"There has been significant demand at the LGH overnight and we thank all our staff for the amazing work they are doing to see patients as quickly as possible," Minister Archer said.
"There is no doubt that bed block continues to significantly impact access and flow, with 22 long stay patients currently stuck at the hospital – through no fault of their own - due to a lack of aged care and NDIS placements.
"As an immediate solution, we are working with Calvary to transfer these patients to their facilities, which will free up beds and ensure more people can be seen sooner.
"We are also working with the Launceston Health Hub to bring 20 additional aged care beds online at the Launceston Health Hub, with construction already underway and expected to come online early next year.
"We also continue to progress important upgrades to the LGH to alleviate demand pressures in the longer term, with construction starting soon on the Northern Heart Centre and the Mental Health Precinct, and a Development Application submitted to expand the size of the Emergency Department.
Minister Archer said once again, it was left to the State to step in and pay for the Federal Government's lack of action and called on the Commonwealth to work with us immediately with funding assistance for these step-down beds.
"This is not about blame – aged care placements are clearly a Commonwealth responsibility and it's absolutely appalling that they are happy to do nothing to fix these issues until the State is forced to step in," Minister Archer said.
"We've been raising these issues for years, as have other states, and it is simply not good enough that the Commonwealth constantly wipes its hands of these issues and pretends that Urgent Care Centres are where its responsibilities end.
"We will step in and fund additional beds because it's in the best interests of Tasmanians but we shouldn't have to, and I am calling on the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Rebecca White and Jess Teesdale to guarantee immediate Commonwealth funding for these step-down beds."
