EMERGENCY department spending is set to decrease while investment in hospital inpatient and mental health services will increase only slightly due to the conclusion of a number of federal government agreements.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Health will make up 29 per cent of total spending in 2016-17.
The preventative, mental and acute sectors will receive additional funding from the state over the next four years.
New investments include $1.2 million for the yet-to-be released Healthy Tasmania strategy and $3 million to support the state's mental health and suicide strategies.
Emergency department strategy Patients First was allocated $5.2 million and the Tasmanian Health System reforms received $29.5 million.
One Health System initiatives to be funded “may include” the consolidation of birthing and maternity services to a single North-West site and the repurposing of the Mersey Hospital into an elective surgery centre. Both facilities are scheduled to be operational July 1.
The $7.9 million Launceston General Hospital children’s ward upgrade will receive $200,000 for planning in the next financial year. The ward is scheduled for completion in 2019.
About half the $3 million set aside for the LGH allied health clinic redevelopment in last year's budget will carry over to 2016-17.
The St Helens Hospital redevelopment will receive an extra $1.1 million in 2017-18, bringing the total funding allocation to $7 million for the new facility. The total cost of the project is expected to be $12.1 million with completion anticipated for 2020-21.
The $689 million Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment will receive $110 million in the next financial year.
Some programs funded under the Commonwealth’s National Partnership Agreements will conclude at the end of the financial year and did not receive funding from the state.
Affected initiatives included funding for additional elective surgeries and clinical redesign. The latter project is linked to the decrease in emergency department funds.
It is understood negotiations on NPAs are ongoing with the federal government.
How the Tasmanian Health Service will save $21 million over four years as expected was still unclear.
Treasurer Peter Gutwein said: “At the end of the day, we would envisage that over time that’s going to be a much more efficient organisation.”