A Majority Labor Government will take immediate steps to fix the health system in rural and regional Tasmania after seven years of neglect by the Liberal Party.
More than $197 million will be invested to upgrade 17 rural hospitals as well as providing 24/7 care at 30 Community Health Centres around Tasmania.
Labor leader Rebecca White said the health of Tasmanians living in regional areas had been ignored over the past seven years by the Liberal Government and the situation required an immediate solution.
“The sad fact is that people in regional areas have poorer health and die younger,” Ms White said.
“The neglect of regional health facilities in light of this fact is just another health failure by the Liberal Party, who have created and overseen the biggest hospital crisis in our state’s history.
“Just half of all emergency patients are seen within recommended timeframes and Tasmanians are becoming sicker waiting for help.
“Labor’s solution is to treat more people in their community by providing local 24/7 nursing, access to allied health, a mental health social worker and a vehicle for patient transport.
“Better community care services delivered by a local team of experts will offer improved preventative health services and reduce emergency department presentations, ambulance call-outs and hospital admissions.”
Shadow Health Minister Dr Bastian Seidel said Tasmania’s 17 small rural hospitals are integral to the well-being and identity of rural communities.
“But currently under this failing Liberal Government they are being under-utilised, with no provision for after-hours emergency care or for an inpatient facility to allow early discharge of patients from our larger hospitals,” Dr Seidel said.
“We will support our rural doctors and rural community hospitals by investing in local solutions and boosting the local workforce of doctors and nurses.
“Our regional health system will simply not survive another four years of Liberal chaos.”
Rural Practitioners & Hospitals Package
- All 17 Rural Hospitals to offer 24/7 emergency care through 85 new on-site Nurse Practitioners and remote area nurses
- Commitment to re-write the Rural Medical Practitioners Agreement
- Training package for 50 Rural Generalists
- Rural hospital capital upgrade package
Community first – Labor’s integrated community health care strategy
- Labor commits to upgrade all Community Health Centres in Tasmania with 24/7 coverage.
- Services will include community nursing, palliative care, home visits with an additional 90 nurses to be employed across the state
- Community health centres will also be staffed by 60 additional physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians and exercise physiologists
Rebecca White MP
Labor Leader
Dr Bastian Seidel MLC
Shadow Health Minister
