A HEALTH union has accused the government of turning its back on health as hospitals continue to strain under unprecedented pressure, but the government says it is working on getting Tasmanians the health care they need.
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Health and Community Services Union secretary Tim Jacobson said multiple ambulances were still being ramped regularly at both the Launceston General Hospital and the Royal Hobart Hospital and argued more funded beds must be opened to deal with the issue.
Mr Jacobson acknowledged the problem was one that had built up under consecutive governments but called for immediate focus on the issue.
"This is symptomatic of the pressures our hospital system is under - ramping has been an intermittent factor at the LGH but it's emerging as an issue in the North as we've been seeing for years in the South," he said.
"The Health Minister has a genuine desire to resolve issues but the government more broadly has turned its back on health."
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation secretary Neroli Ellis agreed that more beds were required.
She said medical patients were now taking up surgical beds, delaying elective surgeries as a result.
Mrs Ellis said one day had seen 41 patients awaiting admission to wards and said nurses were regularly working double shifts.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson said he had already made it clear no changes would be made until hospitals were fully equipped to meet additional demand.
"If that means additional beds or staff at the North West Regional Hospital or Launceston General Hospital to ensure emergency patients are delivered to the hospital that is best equipped to support them, then that's what will happen," he said.
"The Tasmanian Health Service is currently working on scheduling the implementation of the reforms."
Australian Medical Association state president Tim Greenaway applauded the government for its work on hospital reform but said all signs pointed to an inevitability: more beds.
"The inescapable conclusion is that Tasmania needs more public hospital beds," he said.
"We need to increase our bed numbers and increase capacity but also we need to be better and more efficient at utilising the beds that we do have."