The Hodgman Liberal Government will put an additional $14 million over four years into the State’s patient transport system as part of our One Health System reforms.
The One Health System reforms are all about ensuring Tasmanians have equal access to high-quality clinical services, with our major hospitals delivering services that they are best equipped to deliver safely, for all Tasmanians.
To ensure that all Tasmanians get the full benefits of the reforms, it is clear that a number of areas of the patient transport system must be addressed to fill existing service gaps and better meet community needs.
Funding will be available to improve emergency patient transport, streamline transport between hospitals and health facilities, provide transport for people to access non-urgent medical appointments, as well as boost the financial support for private travel and accommodation required to access health care.
With the addition of a range of new specialist services at the Mersey Community Hospital we are expecting up to 7,500 fewer people travelling from the North West to Launceston for treatment each year.
With this $14 million funding commitment, not only will there be fewer North West Tasmanians travelling out of the region for consultations and treatment, but when they do need to travel for complex services or life-saving treatment they will be supported better than ever before to do so.
There has been strong support from across Tasmania for the proposal to give each of our major hospitals a dedicated role in delivering specialised services to patients statewide.
In making this significant investment in transport, the Government has listened to the advice of stakeholders and feedback from the community through the One Health System public consultation.
This investment has only been made possible by the Hodgman Liberal Government’s disciplined approach to fixing the Labor-Green budget mess, which will allow us to invest in essential services into the future.
The One Health System reforms will produce significant efficiencies, including up to $20 million by merging the three THOs, which will be reinvested into delivering the services Tasmania needs.
As we have with this announcement and the commitment of $4.8 million for increased drug and alcohol services, we will also continue to address the long-term service gaps which were left in our health system after 16 years of Labor Governments.