New data sourced by Labor has revealed that an alarming number of surgeries have been postponed due to a lack of staffing and resources across Tasmania’s hospitals – nearly 3,800 in 2023-24.
Last year, nearly 300 surgeries alone were cancelled due to a lack of beds. More than 400 were cancelled due to issues in the hospital including equipment malfunctions, overbooked lists, and hospital escalations.
A further 1,000 surgeries were cancelled due to staff shortages. At the same time – the Liberals have repeatedly refused to reveal how many jobs from the Health Department will be cut as part of their budget cuts and vacancy control measures, or how many staff will be made redundant.
We know that Tasmania’s health system is stretched to its limit. Health workers are suffering terribly doing an amazing job in a system that is at breaking point. The government’s cuts to health jobs are only making a bad situation worse. How can Tasmania build the health system it needs, when the Government ensures the workforce is under-valued, underpaid, and under-resourced?
Cuts to health are likely to make up a substantial portion of the Liberal minority government’s $300 million efficiency dividend. It is clear for all to see that budget cuts of this magnitude are inevitably going to impact service delivery, and patient care.
With horror stories of patients spending 11 years on a waitlist to see a specialist and Tasmanians routinely waiting 10 hours for an ambulance to arrive, Tasmania’s health system is sick enough.
Tasmania needs a government that backs in its health workers and provides them with the resources they need to provide top quality care to Tasmanians. For far too long, the Government has arrogantly dismissed or even straight out denied the very serious concerns being raised by health workers. It’s time for the government to start listening and acting instead of ignoring.
Ella Haddad MP
Shadow Minister for Health
