The Hodgman Liberal Government is boosting the resources for Hepatitis treatment and prevention in another step towards getting better health outcomes for Tasmanian patients.
In response to a long-standing service gap for Hepatitis C treatment which has been identified, we will immediately double the number of Hepatology nurses across the state to enable treatment resources to better match demand.
At present, there are 1.5 FTE of Hepatology nursing staff statewide who are able to provide treatment to around 60 people per year with Hepatitis C.
We will put on an additional 1.5 FTE Hepatology Nurses, which will double the number of people who can receive treatment in order to match the current demand.
Once recruitment has taken place this will mean additional nursing staff in the system, funded through the DHHS budget.
We are also going to initiate a trial of a Hepatitis B High Risk Vaccination Strategy to reduce the incidence of Hepatitis B. Priority populations recommended for immunisation include household contacts of persons with hepatitis B, migrants from hepatitis B endemic countries, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people who inject drugs, people with hepatitis C, and inmates of correctional facilities.
These strategies will initially run until 30 June 2016, when it will be reviewed in light of emerging treatments, funding options and new models of care for Hepatitis C.
The Liberal Government is getting on with improvements to our health system, like these ones, to provide better health care for Tasmanians.