Yesterday's National AMA report 'Australian Hospitals in Logjam', Tasmanian AMA President Dr John Saul's comments and Mr Rockliff's own statement "I'm held accountable as Premier and Health Minister for our waiting lists", (7 News, 31 January 2023) all add up to the fact that Tasmania needs a new Health Minister.
Dr Saul described yesterday's report detailing unacceptably poor waiting times in emergency departments and for urgent elective surgery in Tasmania as "disappointing and demoralising."
The report showed that just 28 per cent of emergency patients at the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) are seen on time (within the prescribed 30 minutes). At the Launceston General Hospital (LGH) it's just 43 per cent of urgent emergency cases seen on time. (page 17).
He said in regard to the North West, "there are so many locum staff, we need permanents".
Regarding urgent elective surgery (page 17) Category 1 – Needing treatment within 30 days; just 62 per cent of people requiring urgent elective surgery operations at the RHH had them within the required 30 days while at the LGH it's 63 per cent leading Dr Saul to say "urgent surgery, that's someone potentially with cancer, that's a life in danger".
Sadly, people are dying unnecessarily while waiting for treatment in our hospitals due to underfunding and lack of staff and as Mr Rockliff states, he's accountable. In response to a Legislative Council Question on Notice we found out 257 Tasmanians died last year while waiting for elective surgery.
The report states "In the last few years we have increasingly heard stories of people dying waiting to be seen in public hospitals that are operating at breaking point, patients waiting years for essential surgery, and ambulances ramping outside hospitals because there are not enough beds and staff to cope with demand." (page 2).
By Mr Rockliff's own admission he's responsible for the state of our health system.
Dr Saul said "our guys have been in crisis for the last four years." (WIN News 31 January).
Mr Rockliff is responsible for the addressing the health crisis in Tasmania and he's failing. Enough is enough he should give the portfolio to someone else.
A copy of the report can be found at this link: https://www.ama.com.au/articles/australian-public-hospitals-logjam
Anita Dow MP
Shadow Minister for Health
