More than 30 people were stuck in the emergency department awaiting admission into wards at the LGH on Friday morning and it is understood some elective surgeries were cancelled as a result.

Health Minister Michael Ferguson said the Tasmanian Health Service and government was aware of increasing demand through emergency departments and was working on strategies to help hospitals meet that need.

He said the One Health System reforms and $100 million in additional funding provided for frontline health would help address those issues.

But Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation state secretary Neroli Ellis said the bed shortage at the LGH was a direct result of budget cuts and that other hospitals were also suffering.

The Royal Hobart Hospital had one of its busiest days on record last weekend and Mrs Ellis argued the situation was only set to worsen when the Mersey was converted to a dedicated elective surgery centre.

‘‘Four thousand emergency admissions come through the Mersey emergency department every year – these people will be sent to either Burnie or Launceston instead,’’ she said.

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Mrs Ellis said patient recovery was at risk when they were forced to stay in emergency.

‘‘It can affect patient recovery because there’s no holding pattern, no showers, no bathrooms and no privacy.’’

 Health and Community Services Union state secretary Tim Jacobson said any number of patients forced to stay in emergency was too many.

‘‘This is an issue for the government – while  they put out a paper for a future health system they didn’t deal with demand that’s in our health system now,’’ he said.

In previous instances of bed block, the LGH has looked at beds in the private sector and, where appropriate, moved patients into regional hospitals.