Redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital is more than one full year past its original completion date, with no commitment from government on when it will be ready.
Labor Leader Rebecca White said the contracted date for completion was December 2018. This was later revised to August 2019, before a further delay to October 2019.
“The opening of the new K block is the only thing the Liberals have been able to point to in terms of solutions to the chronic wait times at the Royal, but they’re short on detail.
“Peter Gutwein has been quick to acknowledge that more needs to be done to improve Tasmania’s public health system and a good start would be to tell people when the hospital will be finished.
“Former Premier Will Hodgman and Sarah Courtney made a commitment that the new K Block at the Royal would be ready for patients in February.
“With little more than a week until the end of this month, there’s no sign that final fit-out is complete, let alone having a ward that’s ready to take patients.”
Ms White urged the new Premier to follow through on his commitment to do more in health.
“People would quite rightly want Peter Gutwein to demonstrate genuine action to back up his promise.
“Only six months ago, he was telling Tasmanians there was room for increased efficiency in health, referring to the Liberals’ $450 million of cuts to essential services and frontline workers.
“Now he says health is a priority, and acknowledges people are being left behind, as though this has only occurred to him since winning the fight for the Premier’s job.
“Tasmanians experiencing ill health, and our state’s health workforce, will be watching the new Premier closely to see whether he backs up his words with action.”
Rebecca White
Labor Leader
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