HEALTH REMEDY

AS FEDS CALLED ON TO ACT, TASSIE WAITS FOR . . .

HEALTH funding and hospital beds are set to form the centrepiece of today’s State Budget, as the Federal Government is urged to intervene in Tasmania’s health system.

The Hodgman Government has made clear it intends to apply a laser-sharp focus to health today, in the wake of complaints from hospital staff and patients in Hobart and Launceston about overcrowded emergency departments, blown out waiting lists and slow ambulance response times.

The Government last night would not comment on reports that today’s budget would include a significant rise in hospital beds.

The Government is still in the process of opening the 50 extra beds across the state announced by Health Minister Michael Ferguson, right, in late February.

Last month, representatives from five key health bodies issued a joint statement calling for an extra 200 public hospital beds for Tasmania to reach the national average.

Patient advocate Jim Franke, who suffers from a rare form of terminal cancer, has been in the Launceston General Hospital for the past week after severe bleeding from an ulcer.

Last night he said he was due to be transferred today to the Royal Hobart Hospital, where his specialist is based, but had been informed there were no beds available. “This is no way to treat a person — I have not been able to see my wife for a week,” he said.

Mr Franke said Mr Fergus- on had also reached out to him to arrange a time to meet and discuss his broader concerns with the health system.

Denison MP Andrew Wilkie asked Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Federal Parliament to order an urgent inquiry into the state’s health system, which he said was headed for a “dangerous, costly and avoidable fiasco”.

“Waiting times are the longest of any state, for example 946 days for urgent gastro and liver appointments, and doctors tell me patients are dying while waiting for treatment,” Mr Wilkie said yesterday.

“Bulk-billing by GPs is, in truth, declining, and Ambulance Tasmania has the slowest response time of any state.

“No wonder the AMA has lost confidence, and the Royal Hobart Hospital Staff Association warns of a severe risk to patient safety over this winter.”

Mr Turnbull said the Government had recently provided $730 million for the Mersey Community Hospital and the health system was the responsibility of the state. Mr Wilkie said he was very disappointed by Mr Turnbull’s response.

“A series of state governments have failed to fix the health system and there’s a compelling case for some form of federal intervention,” he said.

“It’s clear that the State Government can’t be trusted and the billions of dollars the Federal Government is spending on Tassie health isn’t getting to those who need it.

“It was disingenuous of the Prime Minister to refer to the new funding deal for the Mersey Hospital.

“This was, after all, no more than a political fix and one that will continue the reality of too many hospitals, which is part of the state’s underlying problem.”

Mr Ferguson said he would not take any advice from Mr Wilkie on the health system.

“His only so-called plan for health is to close the Mersey Community Hospital, which will negatively affect the health of tens of thousands of Tasmanians and put even greater pressure on our city hospitals,” he said.

“Mr Wilkie will be pleased to see that we are providing extra resources to health in [today’s] Budget.”

On Saturday, the Australian Medical Association Tasmania branch launched a scathing attack on the state’s health system and called for the removal of its top bureaucrat.

President Stuart Day said the association had “no confidence” in the Tasmania Health Service’s chief executive David Alcorn.