At a time when increased investment in Tasmania’s health system is needed, the Federal Labor Government funding cuts have now forced a range of services to cease.
TAZREACH, which is funded by the Australian Government through the Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF), has had their funding cut and as a result, Tasmanian patients are being negatively impacted, particularly in rural and regional areas.
Minister for Health, Jacquie Petrusma, said this has caused some services to reduce, while other services have been forced to end entirely.
“These federal health cuts will have a real impact on patients here in Tasmania, particularly in rural and regional areas,” Minister Petrusma said.
“The service impact is across a broad range of services, including specialised epilepsy services delivered to North West Tasmania, orthopaedic services delivered to Launceston and Hobart, and mental health services delivered to King Island.
“The cuts have also forced a reduction in other services in regional areas of Tasmania including exercise physiology, geriatrics, midwifery, orthoptics, ophthalmology, rheumatology, and urology.
“The Tasmanian Liberal Government has stepped up and is currently working to identify other doctors who can take these patients and continue delivering bulk-billed services – but the reality is, we shouldn’t have to.
“Unfortunately, this is just the latest example of the Federal Government and its consistent pattern of cost-shifting their responsibilities onto states.
“We’ve already seen the impact on GPs through chronic Medicare underfunding that has forced our Government to step in time and time again to save practices.
“They are also underfunding our hospitals by not meeting their end of the federal funding agreement of paying 45 per cent of public hospital demand – short-changing our health system by more than $100 million per annum.
“It’s not good enough, and enough is enough – Tasmania deserves our fair share.
“I have written to the Federal Health Minister, Mark Butler, regarding the negative impact this cut has had on patients here in Tasmania – and I’m calling on Tasmanian Labor to get onboard Team Tasmania and do the same.
“The Tasmanian Government is delivering more health supports and services through our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, and it’s time the Albanese Labor Government stepped up and started delivering on its responsibilities.”
