The Hodgman Majority Liberal Government will invest around an additional $105 million this year into our hospitals to meet the costs of increased demand being delivered.
This comes on top of the extra $465 million budgeted for health in the 2018-19 Budget and will be reflected in the Treasurer’s Revised Estimates report later this year.
Investing these additional funds, as previously foreshadowed, is the result of increasing patient demand for our services. Health is by its nature demand driven and our public hospital EDs never close their doors.
Between 2016 and now, annual demand on our emergency departments has risen by more than 7,000 patients.
After the unprecedented flu season last year demand has not abated.
On top of that, the complexity of patients has continually increased, meaning we have more patients coming through the door and more patients needing a higher level of care.
Health is a top priority for the Hodgman Majority Liberal Government, and that is why we are investing a record amount into Tasmania’s health system.
We are constructing the buildings that are needed to open nearly 300 more hospital beds and recruit more frontline staff, including 800 extra nurses.
Importantly, the Royal Hobart Hospital Redevelopment is less than a year away.
We are only able to invest these extra funds because of our sensible financial management and the strength of our finances.
Our health targets include:
See all our targets at https://www.tas.liberal.org.au/sites/default/files/BuildingYourFuture.pdf