A threat by The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists to withdraw training accreditation at the North West Regional Hospital should have been dealt with, according to Mersey Community Hospital Support Group chairman Steve Martin.
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ANZCA said it raised the concerns since 2014, which also prompted Labor leader Rebecca White to ask why Health Minister Michael Ferguson didn’t act sooner to fix the issues. “This year Tasmania had physician training accreditation downgraded at the LGH, psychiatric training accreditation removed at the Royal and now this blow for the North West,” she said.
Alderman Martin, who is Devonport’s Mayor, said it should not have been allowed to escalate and get to the point of “death’s door knock” for the NWRH to possibly lose such key accreditation. However, Tasmanian Health Service chief executive Dr David Alcorn said advice was recently received from ANZCA about issues to be resolved for NWRH to retain its training accreditation. He said the THS would work with the college to address the matters. He said it would not not impact on service delivery to patients. The NWRH has until December 1 to meet standards.