'Long-awaited' Winter Demand Management Plan released in Tasmania

It's prompted sharp criticism from the Australian Medical Association, with Tasmania on the brink of a horror flu season.

A total of 801 notifications of laboratory-confirmed flu cases have already been recorded in the state this year.

As part of the Winter Demand Management Plan for 2019, children as young as 10 will be able to receive flu vaccinations in pharmacies, in what's being described as an Australian-first. Mr Ferguson is urging people to "support each other's health" by getting a flu shot.

The Winter Demand Management Plan for 2019 will facilitate the use of an eight-bed acute medical unit at the North West Regional Hospital for influenza patients, while 12 Hospital in the Home mental health beds will be utilised in Hobart.

For the LGH, however, the plan only prescribes "continued flex capacity in day stay beds".

Mr Ferguson acknowledged that the plan had been "long-awaited".

"While I've been tempted to have this [plan] released earlier, of course, I think it's the right thing to do to follow the expert advice," he said.

"If we'd done it too early, the flu vaccine ... does have a life-span where it starts to wear off."

AMA Tasmanian vice president John Davis welcomed the plan's release but was critical of its lack of additional beds for the health system.

Dr Davis said the AMA was "disappointed" it was not consulted on the Winter Demand Management Plan.

"We do not support pharmacists administering the [flu] vaccine as we believe doctors are best placed to care for a patient should the patient suffer an adverse reaction," he said.

While Dr Davis welcomed a number of initiatives in the winter flu plan, including measures to enable older people to receive medical care in their homes or in aged care facilities, he was highly critical of other aspects.

"[The AMA is] very concerned that there are no new beds within our hospitals being opened to deal with the inevitable increase in demand," he said.

Public Health Services communicable diseases clinical director Faline Howes said the best thing Tasmanians could do to prevent the spread of influenza was to have a flu vaccination.

"Now that pharmacists vaccinate with the flu ... I think that will really improve the availability and accessibility of flu vaccines," she said.

Dr Howes said flu activity so far in 2019 was "much higher than you'd expect to see at this time of year".

Opposition health spokeswoman Sarah Lovell said Tasmanians could "only hope we do not suffer more from the delays of this Liberal government".

"Labor will review the plan and raise any concerns with the minister," she said.

You can view the Winter Demand Management Plan here.