HEALTH Minister Michael Ferguson has announced that an additional $14 million for patient transport will be included in this month’s state budget.
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But specific details on the funding, including where it will come from, if it will be accompanied by changes to Tasmania’s Patient Travel Assistance Scheme, and whether it will be managed by existing PTAS staff, are yet to come.
The government’s proposal for health reform includes the centralisation of certain services, and Mr Ferguson said it was important that patient transport be addressed to fill service gaps and meet community need.
‘‘This will be available for emergency transport, it will be available for supporting the patient journey between hospitals, where a transfer is required, but also for non-emergency patient transport and assisting patients who are privately making their travel arrangements to get access to their healthcare,’’ he said.
Mr Ferguson said that with the addition of several specialist services at the Mersey Community Hospital, he was expecting up to 7500 fewer people travelling from the North-West to Launceston for treatment each year.
He did not share similar estimates on how patient transport would be impacted statewide.
‘‘With this $14 million funding commitment, not only will there be fewer North-West Tasmanians travelling out of the region for consultations and treatment, but when they do need to travel for complex services or life-saving treatment they will be supported better than ever to be able to do so,’’ he said.
Opposition health spokeswoman Rebecca White welcomed the funding announcement, but said she was waiting for the detail.
Ms White also noted that in a submission to the white paper Ambulance Tasmania pushed for a dedicated helicopter retrieval service based out of Hobart, which would cost about $12 million each year, and there were also calls for a fixed-wing medical aircraft.