The state secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation has told an inquiry Tasmania was experiencing a “perfect storm” of deteriorating health outcomes.
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Neroli Ellis gave evidence to the Senate Select Committee in Devonport last Friday, as part of an ongoing report on federal health policy, administration and expenditure.
“Unfortunately, we have a higher level of chronic disease in Tasmania, we have a higher level of obesity and smoking of the lower socio-economic groups and a higher demand for our health services and we’re seeing less services being offered,” Ms Ellis told the committee.
“...We have fewer beds in Tasmania and the worst waiting lists so our outcomes for Tasmanians are worse than other states,” she said.
The Australian Dental Association also gave evidence suggesting that the Turnbull Government’s new child dental plan meant people would be on a two-and-a-half year waiting list for public dental clinics.
The only waiting that may occur is on the rare occasion that a child requires hospital treatment under general anaesthetic.
For adults, the recently updated Health System Dashboard shows there has been a significant decrease in the numbers waiting for general care in the year to December 2015, with the waiting list falling by more than 3 200 people (almost 30 per cent).
The facts are that the Elective Surgery waiting list is at its lowest point over the last twelve months, with more than 300 fewer patients waiting that at the start of 2015.
