Jeremy Rockliff

Premier of Tasmania



5 December 2018

Michael Ferguson, Minister for Health

Delivering immediate and long-term solutions for health

The Hodgman Majority Liberal Government is focused on delivering solutions to address rising demand in our health system, while rolling out our long-term plan for health.

We are on track to deliver our record $757 million plan for health, which was endorsed by Tasmanians at election less than 10 months ago. This includes opening nearly 300 new hospital beds, employing an additional 1300 health staff and rolling out new services.

This hasn’t stopped us from providing immediate and short-term solutions to ease pressure, such as our ED support package, 22 extra beds at the Hobart Repatriation Hospital, opening the brand new Glenorchy Health Centre, and the new, relocated transit lounge to improve patient flow.

Just two weeks ago, we delivered an extra $105 million to hospitals – a demonstration that we will continue to respond and act as demand grows.

When we first came to Government, we held the most extensive consultation ever in Tasmania, engaging with experts, professionals, stakeholders and the community. Since then, I have held more than 20 public forums to get the feedback of the Tasmanian community.

There is no imperative for a "summit" when a massive collaborative process has already occurred, and universally endorsed.

We will continue to meet regularly with health staff and stakeholders, and will never stop listening as we get on with the job of delivering long-term solutions for health.

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