Report highlights more health staff for Tasmania

Sarah Courtney,Minister for Health

The Department of Health Annual Report highlights the Department’s important work and achievements in delivering and improving healthcare for the Tasmanian community throughout 2019-20.

We know that there have been immense and unprecedented challenges placed on our health system, however the quality of the care and services that have been delivered is testament to the dedication and skills of our clinicians and staff right across the health system.

The Report shows that our focus on getting more resources and recruiting more staff into the health system is achieving results – with a significant increase to our health workforce over 2019-20.

This financial year there has been an increase of 487 FTE staff in the Tasmanian Health Service, including:

  • 194 FTE nurses;
  • 59 FTE doctors;
  • 43 FTE allied health staff; and
  • 63 Ambulance Tasmania staff (including paramedics and dispatch officers).

These increases mean that over the past six years, we have seen over 1500 more health workers, including doctors, nurses and paramedics working in our health system. While we know there is still more work to do, these additional resources mean that the Department and THS has been able to continue to deliver vital services to the community while responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the current environment has impacted the delivery of the health Capital Program in 2019-20 – an extraordinary level of work has been achieved in delivering a range of critical health infrastructure projects, including the completion of K-Block as part of our $689 million Royal Hobart Hospital Redevelopment, further progress of the $87 million Launceston General Hospital Redevelopment, as well as the continued roll out of our rural and regional facility upgrades.

Key community care initiatives have also been established, including the expansion of the Community Rapid Response Service, which is providing care for hundreds of patients and reducing demand for acute services across the state.

We also established the new health system governance structure, which has been instrumental in driving improved decision-making, enhanced accountability and further empowering local hospital management to best manage local demand. This has proven to be an invaluable change which has aided the health system in its response to the extraordinary circumstances we have been faced with in 2020.

I sincerely thank all staff for their continued dedication and hard work across the Department and THS to drive better care and deliver improved health outcomes for Tasmanians, in what has been the most challenging year in recent history.

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