Jeremy Rockliff,Minister for Health
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is looking beyond the horizon to build a better health system – one that makes a real difference to the lives of Tasmanians.
The 2021-22 Tasmanian Budget included a record $10.7 billion investment into health over four years, which was $900 million more than the previous year, and around $4 billion more than the Labor-Green Government in 2013.
While much of this funding has been targeted at immediate needs, such as reducing the elective surgery waitlist, opening more beds, and employing more staff, we are also firmly focused on planning for the future.
That’s why our plan forecasts investment of more than $1 billion over 10 years into critical health infrastructure, to ensure that generations of Tasmanians to come will be able to access care where and when they need it, regardless of where they live, while also helping to attract and retain staff in our major hospitals.
The Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) Masterplan, the recently completed Launceston General Hospital (LGH) Masterplan, and the North West Regional Hospital (NWRH) Masterplan currently underway inform our investment in modern health facilities, which improves patient amenity and increases capacity.
Our LGH Redevelopment Masterplan forecasts capital investment of $580 million over 10 years and includes the development of a new Mental Health Facility and a new tower on the current Northside site, providing additional capacity to meet future demand.
Our Government will also underpin the delivery of a new $120 million private hospital within the LGH health precinct to ensure that integrated patient care and specialist services are delivered in a seamless way.
In the South, we are delivering an expansion of Stage 2 of the RHH Redevelopment which represents over $200 million in new facilities, including an additional 90 inpatient beds, a fit-for-purpose older persons unit, an expanded ICU, expanded Emergency Department and new Neurology/Stroke and Medical sub-specialties wards.
Importantly we are engaging with the Commonwealth Government to provide joint funding for Stage 3 of the RHH Redevelopment which will deliver mental health services and specialised multidisciplinary sub-acute services including rehabilitation, palliative care, geriatric evaluation and management care, and psychogeriatric care at an estimated jointly funded total investment of $665 million.
In the North West, we are progressing a $100 million redevelopment of the North West Regional Hospital, which includes $40 million for the first stage of a new Mental Health precinct and $20 million for the refurbishment of the Spencer wing to provide additional wards.
Once this is completed, in date we will progress the second stage of the mental health precinct at a cost of $40 million, which we aim to be jointly funded between the State and the Commonwealth.
In the North West, we are progressing a $100 million Redevelopment of the NWRH, which includes $40 million for Stage 1 of a new Mental Health precinct and $20 million for the refurbishment of the Spencer wing to provide additional wards. Once this is completed, we will progress Stage 2 of the Mental Health Precinct at a cost of $40 million, which we aim to be jointly funded between the State and the Commonwealth.
We have also expanded our investment in the Mersey Community Hospital with a further $20 million to provide a new kitchen and additional ward, providing more bed capacity – taking the total upgrade at the Mersey to $55 million, the most significant in the hospital’s history.
We are also investing $20 million to replace hospital equipment, $9 million in additional and replacement ambulances, and $5 million in equipment for rural hospitals, implementing strategic asset management across these important pieces of equipment.
We recognise modern and fully integrated digital health infrastructure is just as necessary as bricks and mortar for delivering quality and timely patient care, which is why in last year’s budget we committed $15 million to commence key focus areas of a 10 year Digital Transformation in Health Plan.
With demand increasing for health services state-wide, it is vital we use every available service to find ways to reduce pressure on our public hospitals. That’s why last year we committed $20 million to establish a fund to enable private hospitals to support our public hospital system to better manage demand.
Many of these arrangements have already commenced and are helping to relieve pressure and further identify innovative ways to manage increasing demand – demonstrating how the public and private hospitals systems can collaborate successfully to achieve positive outcomes.
The most important asset in our health system is our people, and the Tasmanian Liberal Government has delivered more staffing than any previous government. Since coming to Government in 2014, we have employed 1,500 additional FTE health professionals. We have worked very hard to build up our nursing workforce, which over the last three financial years, has increased by nearly 600 FTE.
I want to acknowledge, and personally thank, the incredible efforts of our hard-working health staff especially over the last two years as they have been on the front line of our COVID response and importantly have worked tirelessly to help test, vaccinate, and support our community through this difficult and challenging period.
Our plan is centred on our patients and our staff, and we will continue to invest record funding to address immediate pressures and ensure Tasmanians can get the right care, in the right place, at the right time. Importantly, we will continue to build upon this work over the next decade with a billion dollar longer-term vision that sees a better health system in every region of Tasmania.
