Liberals continue to ignore health crisis

Tasmanian Labor
  • Liberals continue to ignore advice of health experts
  • Patients with mental ill health forced to wait seven days before getting a bed
  • Severe ambulance ramping at hospitals continues
  • Today in parliament Sarah Courtney denied that circumstances at the Royal Hobart Hospital are unacceptable, despite patients dying unnecessarily while waiting for the care they need.

    Shadow Minister for Health, Sarah Lovell, said that the ongoing and severe ambulance ramping at the Royal Hobart Hospital is a clear illustration of the crisis in our health system.

    “For Sarah Courtney to deny that circumstances at the Royal Hobart Hospital are unacceptable demonstrates her complete ignorance about the reality of Tasmania’s health crisis,” Ms Lovell said.

    “The Liberals are failing to listen to, and act upon, continued reports from medical experts that the health system is at breaking point.

    “We’ve heard from ambulance paramedics that it is not uncommon to wait up to 10 hours with patients in the Emergency Department, which means their ambulances are parked outside the hospital, unable to respond to emergencies.

    “There have been unacceptable instances of patients with mental ill health forced to wait seven days in the ED before they can get a bed.

    “We know that the failed former Health Minister cut the number of mental health beds in the new Royal Hobart Hospital meaning there will still not be enough beds when it finally opens its doors.

    “Sarah Courtney and Will Hodgman are failing staff and patients by ignoring the advice of clinicians to increase the number of acute mental health beds at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

    “The Liberals must finally listen to the advice of clinicians and increase the number of acute mental health beds at the Royal Hobart Hospital to stop patients dying while waiting for the care they need.”

    Sarah Lovell MLC

    Shadow Minister for Health

    /Public Release. View in full here.