Initial findings from an inquiry into acute health in Tasmania have highlighted major problems with governance, bed block, mental health care and maternity.
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The Legislative Council sub-committee investigating the health system released its interim report on Thursday, listing eight key findings, with a recommendation to political parties to “work collaboratively” to address the challenges within the system.
The number one finding was the loss of local administrative and clinical leadership, and lack of local decision-making capacity, which was “negatively impacting patient care, staff morale and efficient service delivery”.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson said the government was already actively addressing the issues listed in the interim report.
On Sunday, he announced a restructure of the Tasmanian Health Service, which would see the abolition of its chief executive Dr David Alcorn’s job, as well as the service’s nine-person governing council, returning decision-making power to hospitals.
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The report said access block and overcrowded emergency departments were increasing the risk of “adverse patient outcomes”, and that the costs associated with overtime and locum contracts were putting pressure on the health budget.
Maternity services in the North-West were “fragmented”, the report said, and the Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment created “additional operational challenges”, including decanting of patients and dealing with the impact of this year’s flu season.
Mr Ferguson said the sub-committee “glossed over the risks of the former [maternity] model, which was not supported by doctors, failed to provide ICU and paediatric care cover at Latrobe and suffered from a permanent contract with the private hospital that had bound the government in perpetuity”.
“The establishment of an integrated North-West maternity service is based on the best clinical advice from specialists, and is about the safety of North-West mothers and babies first and foremost.”
The report said access to timely acute and community mental health care was “inconsistent, lacking functionality and resulted in inadequate care of patients". Child and adolescent inpatient mental health services were also found to be lacking across the state, “resulting in sub-optimal care for young people”.
The lack of a statewide perinatal and infant mental health service was identified as another key issue, resulting in “sub-optimal care for vulnerable children and women experiencing postnatal depression and postpartum psychosis”.
Mr Ferguson said the government was already addressing the state’s mental health inadequacies.
The inquiry was chaired by Hobart independent MLC Rob Valentine, with hearings in Hobart and Launceston.
The sub-committee’s final report will be released in 2018.