The Mersey Community Hospital High Dependency Unit has been changed to a post-operative facility for day surgery patients.
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The change supports a state government plan to make the federally funded hospital a dedicated elective surgery centre for Tasmania.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson said the high dependency unit was reconfigured to a post-operative surgical support unit to support elective surgery patients.
Mr Ferguson said that as of Friday, the Mersey Community Hospital was Tasmania’s dedicated elective surgery centre.
However he confirmed patients from other regions were not required to have their day surgery at the hospital.
He said patients would be supported to travel to the Latrobe site if they chose to.
“As we have previously been clear, patients will have the option of having their surgery procedure at the MCH without the risk of cancellation because of its dedicated elective surgery function,” he said. ”No-one will be forced, it comes down to patient choice.”
No one will be forced, it comes down to patient choice
- Michael Ferguson
According to Mr Ferguson in 2015-16, the Mersey performed more elective surgeries than any previous year – around 180 more surgeries than the previous financial year, with the waiting list falling by 30 per cent. The number of urology surgeries were up 50 per cent.
