13 November 2018

Michael Ferguson, Minister for Health

31 extra alcohol and drug rehab beds

The number of alcohol and drug rehabilitation beds across the State is being boosted by 31 under the Hodgman Liberal Government’s plan to improve health services.

This new $6 million investment over three years represents the biggest increase in drug and alcohol treatment the State has ever funded and will take the total number of community-based residential rehab beds to more than 100.

The Launceston City Mission and Salvation Army will manage the boosted services, as well as increased support programs around Tasmania.

The new funding will see a mix of short and longer stay residential rehab and day programs, after-care and ambulatory, and non-medical withdrawal management services around the State. These investments are only possible due to the Government’s strong financial management.

The Launceston City Mission will increase long-term residential beds at its Missiondale Recovery Centre in the North by 10.

It will also increase beds at Serenity House in the North West by five to provide a flexible mix of non-medicated supervised in-patient withdrawal management beds and short stay residential rehab of four to six weeks.

The Salvation Army will provide 16 more beds at its Bridge Program South – 15 residential rehab beds for four to 10-week stays and one withdrawal management bed.

These programs will provide a statewide step-up, step-down model.

The two organisations will work closely with the State Government Alcohol and Drug Services on the Partnership in Alcohol and Other Drugs Residential Treatment Panel.

The panel provides a clear referral and timely admission pathway for those seeking residential treatment.

This will help reduce wait times for access to alcohol and drug residential services and ensure individuals receive support before entering residential services.

In addition, the State Government has committed:

• $870,000 over two years to the Australian Drug Foundation Good Sports and Healthy Minds programs.
• $100,000 a year for two years to Pathways Tasmania to include a residential rehab program specifically for women.
• $50,000 a year for two years to the Holyoake Gottawanna program.

The Hodgman Liberal Government is proud to increase funding to meet this key area of need and provide a better level of service to Tasmanians battling alcohol and drug addiction.

Under our $757 million health package – the single biggest boost to health care in Tasmania’s history - we are working to ensure Tasmanians get the right help, in the right place, at the right time.

Our health targets include:

• Reducing emergency ambulance response times to national average waiting time by 2025
• Reducing smoking rates to below the national average by 2025, and halve the gap between State and national youth smoking rates (for under 25s)
• Reducing Tasmania’s rate of obesity to below the national average by 2025
• A 20% reduction in the suicide rate by 2022
• 90% of Tasmanians being treated within clinically recommended timeframes for their elective surgery by the end of the next four year term of Government
• 90% of emergency presentations being in and out of the Emergency Department within four hours by 2022

See all our targets at https://www.tas.liberal.org.au/sites/default/files/BuildingYourFuture.pdf

More Media Releases from Michael Ferguson

More Media Releases from the Minister for Health