A second interim report from a Legislative Council sub-committee’s inquiry into the state’s acute health system says the government needs to address the underlying budgetary shortfall in health to avoid the need to funding top-ups.
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Further, it has said the state government needed to continue to lobby its federal counterparts for greater investment in preventative health areas.
It said the government needed to continue to work with groups to understand workforce needs and better utilise nurse practitioners and medical stuff in rural areas for general hospital work.
In its findings, the committee said the Tasmanian Health Service faced increasing demand for acute health services which it could not meet. “Hospital overcrowding has become the norm,” the report said.
“This is evidenced through constant access or bed block, ambulance ramping, high in-patient occupancy and delays to discharge, that all contribute to increased rates of morbidity and mortality.”
Committee chairman Rob Valentine said the committee had hoped to produce a final report before the end of the year but still required a KPMG report from Health Minister Michael Ferguson on the health expenditure which is believed to have identified a structural deficit in funding of $100 million in 2016-17.
“A final report will be prepared and tabled as soon as possible after this information is received,” he said.
Mr Ferguson said the government would invested $757 million more into health over six years.
He said a Right to Information officer had determined the report was exempt from release.
