The Rockliff Liberal Government is delivering a record $12.1 billion over the next four years to build a better health system and ensure Tasmanians have access to the health care they deserve.
Since 2014, we have employed an additional 2,500 healthcare workers, we are delivering on average 10,000 additional outpatient appointments every month and we have reduced the elective surgery waiting list by 35 per cent since January 2021.
Throughout this year we continued to build a better health system that meets our needs now and into the future, using new and innovative solutions to improve the way we deliver healthcare in Tasmania’s cities and regions.
We know that access to primary health is increasingly challenging which is why the Tasmanian Government has repeatedly stepped in to ensure Tasmanians can access the right care, in the right place, at the right time. Our actions included establishing the Single Employer Model for GP Registrars program which commenced in July this year, and I recently opened the Rural Medical Workforce Centre at the Mersey Community Hospital in October this year to support the recruitment and retention of permanent doctors for the region.
In partnership with the Federal Government, we have also opened three new Medicare Urgent Care Centres across Tasmania – two in Hobart and one in Launceston, with a fourth to open in Devonport next week.
We continue to progress significant upgrades at each of our four major hospitals. At the Royal Hobart Hospital, Stage 1 of the Emergency Department expansion was completed, delivering 28 new beds. We also completed the redevelopment of the Endoscopy Short Stay Suite and cardiology unit providing contemporary space for patients and also allowing for the establishment of a dedicated sleep centre. We have also delivered 12 new Intensive Care Unit beds following the completed construction of the Intensive Care Unit expansion.
Also in the South, new outpatient and pre-admission clinics commenced services at the RHH (Liverpool Street).
In the North, we have completed the LGH Emergency Department Ambulance Bay Improvements and commenced construction of the helipad.
In the North West, the Government released the draft masterplan for the North West Regional Hospital and the Mersey Community Hospital (MCH) which outlines our vision for the next 20-years which will deliver new contemporary, state-of-the-art health facilities. Work is already underway to redevelop the MCH with the slab poured for the new Outpatient Clinics and completion slated for the end of 2024. This week we also saw the North West Maternity Services transition to the public system, delivering on our promise to bring services across almost one year earlier than planned.
The Rockliff Liberal Government proudly delivered three new state-of-the-art ambulance stations this year in Queenstown, Beaconsfield and Bridgewater and work is underway on superstations at Glenorchy and Burnie.