Sarah Courtney,Minister for Health
Today’s release of Our Healthcare Future marks the next stage of the Tasmanian Government’s long-term health reform agenda as we continue to rebuild from COVID-19.
We know that sometimes our patients end up in hospital because it is the only care they can access – not necessarily because they need hospital-level care.
This is why Our Healthcare Future is all about ensuring we are delivering the right care, in the right place, at the right time as much as possible.
Our Healthcare Future looks at how we can achieve better patient outcomes by connecting and rebalancing care delivery across the acute, subacute, rehabilitation, mental health, primary health and community care settings.
Immediate actions include a new initiative in the North and North West to provide GPs and other primary healthcare professionals with rapid access to non-GP specialists, on top of the trial of a Hospital in the Home Service already underway in Southern Tasmania.
The $23 million health technology package I have announced today will deliver a new Human Resources Information System, allowing the Tasmanian Health Service staff to reduce paper-based systems and provide better information for our health services.
Longer term actions include a Telehealth Strategy for Tasmania, and a Health ICT Plan 2020 – 2030 including electronic medical records, electronic tools for managing patient care, and new systems for human resources and patient information for the Tasmanian Health Service.
We are committed to ensuring that our system is working in a way that meets the needs of our staff, our patients, and our community.
The One State, One Health System, Better Outcomes reform program was the first stage of the Tasmanian Government’s reform agenda.
With Our Healthcare Future, we will take the important next step of focusing on how we can improve the delivery of care in the community and build better integration across our system.
The Tasmanian Government will now work with the community, clinicians, consumers and organisations to plan the next steps.
You can have your say by making a written submission and speaking to a member of the Department of Health. In the coming months, further consultation will take place with stakeholders in a way that is safe and appropriate in the COVID-19 environment.
