An independent review of the Launceston General Hospital’s emergency department will now include all four of Tasmania’s public hospitals.
The review was initially proposed by the Labor party and opposed by the government and independent John Tucker but was supported by the rest of the crossbench.
Health Minister Guy Barnett argued against the review, stating that a parliamentary inquiry was already looking into patient transfer at the state’s hospitals.
However, Barnett has now announced that the review will look into operations at all public emergency departments at the Royal Hobart Hospital, the North West Regional Hospital and the Mersey Community Hospital.
“We know Emergency Departments are a real pinch point in our health care system,” Minister Barnett said.
“We have an ever-growing number of presentations, many of which are not emergencies and could be treated elsewhere.”
“We need to make sure resourcing, work practices, communication, and hospital flow strategies are the best they possibly can be.”
Safety and quality expert Professor Debora Picone will lead the review, along with a nursing expert and an expert nominated by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine.
Shadow Minister for Health, Anita Dow, welcomed the review into the Launceston General Hospital, saying it “reflects the urgency of the problems” at the LGH.
“The LGH already had the worst bed block in the country, with one in 10 people waiting more than 30 hours for care, ambulances regularly backed up, paramedics being rostered to the ramp, and latest health data showing only 37 per cent of Tasmanians presenting at the LGH ED are seen within four hours,” Dow said.
She urged Minister Barnett to “get on with this review, implement an immediate action plan to address access flow across the hospital and relieve pressure on the LGH’s dedicated and hard-working staff.”
