Building for the future
As the delayed state budget nears, the AMA Tasmania Branch's top priority is for the government to invest in critical health infrastructure to ensure Tasmanians can access the healthcare they need when they need it in a modern, fit-for-purpose environment.
As it is, our health facilities are failing to meet the needs of Tasmanians today, let alone in the future.
“Overflowing emergency department waiting rooms, a lack of staff, long treatment wait times, long elective wait lists, blown-out outpatient lists, and ramped ambulances aren't just words; they are the reality for Tasmanians and the frontline staff who care for them.
“Enough is enough.”
Tasmania's ageing population combined with a rising chronic disease burden means we must be prepared for the tsunami of need that is already crashing at our shores and will only get worse.
“Doctors are waiting with apprehension for a health budget that they fear will see vital funding for people and infrastructure dry up at a time when we can least afford it.
“We are already seeing this fear realised with the decision not to fund the additional $50m required to provide for the complete redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) emergency department – a disastrous decision that will impact patients and staff for decades to come.
“How you can spend $130m redeveloping the RHH ED and not get one extra lie-down adult acute bed is beyond ridiculous; it is downright wrong and an abrogation of responsibility to future-proof our services for Tasmanians.
“There are no cutting corners in health.
“We all know infrastructure costs have blown out due to factors outside of the control of the Tasmanian government. That doesn't mean you walk away from what you know you need to do.
“It means reprioritising other government projects or reforming state taxes so the revenue base can grow to fund much-needed health infrastructure.”
As the Tasmanian government prepares to reveal what it has in store for Tasmanians via this year's state budget, one thing is certain: its track record has been wayward when delivering the investment needed for health infrastructure projects.
“There seems to be no problem creating a master plan, but little appetite to fund them.
“Major health infrastructure projects that support Tasmania's growing and ageing population, like the ongoing redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) or St Johns Park precinct, Northwest Regional Hospital Masterplan, or Launceston General Hospital ED, have been continuously set aside, revised, delayed, or left unfunded.
“Yet, a new maternity facility within the Northwest Regional Hospital would provide a safer model of care for women giving birth.
“A new sub-acute facility at St John's Park would improve patient flow through the RHH, leading to fewer bed blocks, ambulance ramping, and ED waiting times that blow out.
“A new mental health facility in Burnie would mean a more therapeutic modern environment in which to help acutely unwell patients recover.
“These delays or lack of funding are not simply bureaucratic issues but seriously impact the mental and physical health of the community and healthcare workers expected to treat patients within compromised workplaces.”
The public is continually bombarded with messages regarding overflowing emergency department waiting rooms, lack of staff, long treatment waits times, long elective wait lists, blown-out outpatient lists and ramped ambulances, and enough is enough.
Until you or a loved one has been triaged in a public corridor with no privacy or left for an agonisingly long period in an overcrowded waiting room, or even worse, treated in a patched-together hospital plagued with ongoing old building challenges of leaking ceilings, roofs and shifting footings, it's impossible to understand what this feels like as a patient, let alone as a staff member dealing with this day in and day out.
“Public hospitals aren't "nice-to-haves"," but provide critical services and round-the-clock care to all Tasmanians on arguably some of the worst days of their lives.”
Given this, no patient in Australia should be forced to receive care without all the necessary and most modern facilities and tools available.
The government has committed to building a football stadium that meets AFL standards; we need that same boldness and integrity in addressing Tasmania's health infrastructure needs.
Investments in infrastructure that supports the health of our community must be the government's priority. >>>ENDS
