Today’s
announcement that the Liberal Government has finally come up with a plan to
address out of control specialist waiting lists is welcome news.
But it is too
little, too late for patients who have been waiting years to see
specialists.
The fact is
under the Liberals the specialist wait list has more than doubled, growing by
almost 30,000 people.
Specialist wait
times are also completely unacceptable, with urgent neurosurgery patients, who are
meant to be seen in 30 days, currently forced to wait well
over two years. Less urgent neurosurgery patients, meanwhile, wait an
average of over six and a half years.
So while any
promises are welcome, what we really need to see is action to undo the damage
the Liberals have caused over the past eight years.
The Liberals
have a track record of making big promises when it comes to health services in
Tasmania including a 580-million-dollar redevelopment of the Launceston General
Hospital. To date, very little has been funded or delivered. Let’s hope
this is not another announcement that goes undelivered.
Tasmania’s
health system continues to deteriorate under the watch of a part-time Health
Minister who is more focused on building a $750 million stadium in Hobart than
fixing the state’s health crisis.
Premier Rockliff should appoint a full-time Health Minister and make health a priority for the Liberal Government.
Anita Dow MP
Shadow Minister for Health
