HEALTH groups say the budget falls short of what Tasmania’s system needs.
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Australian Medical Association state president Tim Greenaway said while health spending was on par with other states the proportion should have been higher due to Tasmania’s needs as an older, sicker and poorer population.
However, “AMA Tasmania has welcomed the $2.6 million in preventative health funding … We also welcome the investments in student and mental health,” he said.
Tasmanian Council of Social Service chief executive Kym Goodes said health stood out as a “disappointing” area of the budget. “With the aspiration of being the healthiest state by 2025 and a praiseworthy draft preventative health paper brought to Tasmanians for consultation recently, we are stunned to find all but nothing for preventative health.”
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation state secretary Neroli Ellis said: “The increase in (hospital) funding of 1.6% will not even cover basic inflation rates.”