$105 MILLION ON STATE'S HOSPITALS
Yesterday the AMA called for urgent extra funding for Tasmania’s overstretched public hospitals and today the Government has announced an additional $105 million for the State’s hospitals. We have not yet received details other than to say it will be spent on staff, not beds as space is limited.
The AMA calls on the Minister to write the cheque today and authorise and resource the hospital leadership teams to get on with the job. Local management knows best what is needed within the individual facilities to manage the patient loads urgently. The recruitment of additional staff to treat patients, improve safety in the EDs, and reduce access block will be paramount.
We know there are restraints on adding extra physical beds and wards, these will take time to build and bring online, but to help our overstretched hospital staff and their patients the Minister needs to allow management to recruit the reinforcements they need to deal with the steadily rising level of hospital emergency demand.
The Minister should also remove any red tape or unhelpful and unnecessary bureaucracy that's standing in the way of the leadership teams from doing the job of running the hospitals and caring for patients.
Dr Davis. AMA Tasmania President also calls on the Government to reassure the community that it remains fully committed to releasing the strategic Masterplan for the Royal Hobart Hospital that will guide future building works and hospital upgrades over coming years in February 2019.
ENDS