The cost of fly-in medical staff in the state’s North nearly doubled in the past year, from $3.4 million to $6.6 million, according to figures read out during a budget estimates committee hearing.
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Health Minister Michael Ferguson was grilled by members of the Lower House on Tuesday. Topics covered ranged from elective surgery and smoking rates to opening beds and increasing staff numbers, with mental health and bed access at the Royal Hobart Hospital taking up a significant chunk of the six-hour session.
Opposition leader Rebecca White asked Mr Ferguson for a breakdown of the costs of locums in each of the state’s three regions.
The hearing was told the North went from $1.8 million in the year to March 31, 2014, to $1.35 million the following year, to $3.4 million last year, to $6.6 million at March 31 this year.
The North-West went from $9.7 million in 2014 and 2015, to $12.6 million last year, and $13.14 million this year. The South’s figures were lower at less than a million dollars in the past year to March 31.
“Health facilities in the North are projecting a cost increase largely due to increase in use of ... locums at the Launceston General Hospital ED and registrars within the department of medicine,” Mr Ferguson said.
He listed a number of potential contributing factors for locum use, including as a temporary solution while recruiting for increased medical services or additional beds, difficulty attracting and retaining staff, and delays in staff commencement, due to immigration or certification.
Ms White said the issue at the LGH was flagged with Mr Ferguson when doctors were negotiating their salaries.
“Do you think it would have been better at that time to negotiate with your workforce so you maintained your permanent doctors in the emergency department, rather than now being reliant on locums?”
Mr Ferguson said such a direct linkage could not be established.
“… The ED is nowhere near high enough as to explain the locum figures that we have in total but it’s obviously a contributor,” he said.
“There are industrial issues there, obviously, but the LGH ED is a very different place to what it was even one year ago with the new ED director, new leadership … and a very much more positive environment and atmosphere and a sense of teamwork and getting on with the job.”
