Reports reveal health failures
TASMANIA’S hospital system is failing people needing urgent surgery, attending emergency departments, giving birth and suffering mental health problems, two reports revealed yesterday.
An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report has revealed just 79 per cent of category one elective surgery patients receive surgery within the 30 day benchmark — the worst result in the nation.
Only 60 per cent of category two patients undergo surgery within the 90-day time frame, and 79 per cent of category three patients.
A Legislative Council inquiry into acute health services in Tasmania also released its interim report yesterday.
It found that overcrowded emergency departments raised the risk of “negative patient outcomes”.
And it identified failings in the leadership structure of the Tasmanian Health Service, recommending more local input.
The State Government this week announced that many of the key responsibilities of the Tasmanian Health Service would be handed back to local hospitals.
The Upper House inquiry also found that: THE delivery of maternity services in North-West Tasmania was fragmented. ACCESS to timely acute and community mental health care was inconsistent. TASMANIA did not have a statewide peri-natal and infant mental health service, resulting in sub-optimal care for vul- nerable children and women experiencing postnatal depression and post-partum psychosis.
Labor leader Rebecca White said the committee had heard evidence that 70 to 80 Tasmanians died avoidably each year partly as a result of bed shortages.
“Tasmania’s health and hospital system is in crisis under the Hodgman Liberal Government,” she said.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson said the health system had improved greatly under the Liberal Government and all issues identified in the Upper House were being addressed.
“Despite growing demand in our hospitals, the percentage of people waiting more than a year for elective surgery more than halved in 2016-17 compared to the year prior, and is the lowest in at least a decade at 6.6 per cent.”
Greens health spokeswoman Rosalie Woodruff said Mr Ferguson’s record was shameful.
“The minister has pointed often to the reduction in the number of people on the overall elective surgery waiting list as evidence of success in tackling the problem, but he’s focused on the cheap and quick procedures, instead of the difficult and life-threatening ones,” she said.