The Hodgman Liberal Government will open an additional 31 beds and treatment recliners at the Royal Hobart Hospital and in the community, in response to increasing demand.
Today’s announcement is made up of 19 new beds and four treatment recliners for admitted patients, as well as an additional three procedure beds and five treatment recliners in the Emergency Department.
And on top of that, we are opening six step-up beds at our community mental health Tolosa Street Rehabilitation Centre, Glenorchy.
The opening of these additional beds and treatment spaces is a result of consultation with the Tasmanian Health Service and clinicians, to develop a plan which will have the greatest benefit for patient flow.
The 19 beds and treatment recliners are part of a new Observation Unit which will have six beds and two treatment recliners, and a new flexible Multipurpose Short Stay Unit.
The Multipurpose Short Stay Unit will be configured based on clinical need, as either five beds for mental health patients, or seven beds and two treatment recliners for general patients.
Senior clinicians will choose the configuration best suited at the time and to maximise patient flow, with the new areas to be open by the end of October.
Our recruitment process across all these areas is on track and includes for triage and resuscitation nurses, and we are commencing recruitment for a psychiatrist and additional psychiatric nurses.
The Hodgman Government is continuing to listen and work hard to deliver a health system Tasmanians deserve.
We are making a record investment in health which is in sharp contrast to Labor who in Government cut funding and closed beds.