28 May, 2015

Michael Ferguson, Minister for Health

$100 million boost to Frontline Health

The Hodgman Liberal Government is making the biggest ever investment in Tasmania’s health system with $100 million in additional funding, and a total budget of more than $6 Billion over four years to help Tasmanians get high‑quality health care when they need it.

This new investment, just like our One Health System reforms, is about getting more Tasmanians the highest possible standard of care.

It means more Tasmanians getting the treatment they need when they need it, in a Statewide health system where each hospital specialises in the services they are best equipped to deliver safely and efficiently.

The additional $100 million investment will provide essential public hospital services, including elective and emergency surgery. It will improve patient outcomes and will build further on the safer, more efficient Statewide health service to be created through the One Health System reforms.

Over the past year we have been working hard to reform the broken health system to create One Health System where everyone has access to the best medical care and where less duplication means more money for patient treatment.

The creation of one single Statewide health system will allow Tasmanians for the first time in decades to have confidence that money spent on health is directly improving patient services, rather than being diverted by the operation of three separate regional health systems and bureaucracies with duplicated administration and services.

We are capitalising on this opportunity by delivering in today’s State Budget an extra $100 million for frontline health services. This is on top of the additional $24 million being invested in improving patient transport, and our $76 million commitment to reduce waiting lists with an Elective Surgery program that will provide treatment for up to 15,000 Tasmanians.

Today’s Budget also includes further funding for the $3 million Hospital Alternative Program, including restoring the successful Hospital in the Home initiatives, and additional funding of $8.3 million for the maintenance and upgrades of hospitals and health centres across the State, including the Launceston General Hospital, Flinders Island Hospital, Launceston Ambulance Station and other rural hospitals.

The Hodgman Liberal Government is putting patients at the forefront of everything we do in health. That’s why we need to maintain fiscal discipline across the State Budget, so that we can afford to invest in better outcomes in health into the future.