Tasmanian Labor have raised concerns about patient care in the state’s public hospitals because of a shortage of nurses.
The nurses union estimates that vacancies in the state are in the hundreds.
Paying nurses to work overtime has cost the Tasmanian Health Service more than $25 million since last July.
Labor’s health spokesperson Anita Dow says the state government must address recruitment and retention.
“It’s really important that we’re competitive with other jurisdictions, and this government currently is not competitive in the way that it retains and recruits nurses across this state”.
12 new beds were added to the Royal Hobart Hospital’s intensive care unit today, expanding its capacity to 33.
The $16 million expansion of the ICU is part of a 30 year plan to redevelop the Royal.
