Labor says the state government has shifted away from its election promise on bulk billing clinics, after the first TassieDoc site was announced as a grant to an existing private practice rather than a state-run clinic.
Health Minister Bridget Archer named the Deloraine and Westbury medical centres as the first sites under the initiative, with funding to expand consulting space and hire three more GPs.
The expansion is expected to deliver an extra 20,000 bulk billed appointments a year across the two sites.
Labor MLC and shadow health minister Sarah Lovell said the model now being rolled out was different to what was put to voters.
“During the election campaign, the Liberal government essentially adopted Labor’s policy to deliver bulk billing GP clinics around the state that would be operated by the state government,” Lovell said.
“Providing grants to private businesses is a big step away from the commitment they made at the election.”
Lovell said Labor wanted more detail on how the rest of the rollout would work.
“They need to be very upfront with Tasmania about why they’ve made that decision and what this commitment now will look like,” she said.
Questions also remain over the proposed $15 million Huon medical precinct, which was included in the government’s first 100-day plan but not the second.
Cygnet resident Mary Haverland said families in the area were currently facing a two-hour round trip to Hobart for after-hours care.
“It would make a huge difference to have that step in between primary health and the critical care that you get up at the Royal,” Haverland said.
Archer has said the Huon site is confirmed but the model is still being worked through.
“The site, in terms of the Huon, is known and established,” Archer said.
“What that looks like will be subject to those discussions with the stakeholders in the area.”
Archer suggested expanding an existing practice could be more effective than building something new.
“This initiative for us is not as simple as just building a new clinic somewhere where there isn’t one that currently exists,” she said.
“What we need to do is to be smart and sensible about the solutions.”
She said all TassieDoc commitments would be funded in the upcoming state budget, with more site announcements expected in the coming weeks.
