A budget commitment to open and staff more beds at the Royal Hobart Hospital has been slammed as a "stunt" by the state's peak medical body, while unions renew calls for additional funding for the North.
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On Wednesday, Health Minister Michael Ferguson announced the 2019-20 state budget - set to be handed down on Thursday - would deliver $132 million to open more than 100 beds at the RHH, over four years.
However, Australian Medical Association president John Burgess said the announcement was a recycling of commitments made in last year's budget, with no evidence from the government to recruit extras staff and no consultation with the AMA.
"We are very disappointed that the government has made, yet again, an announcement but not backed it up at the same time with evidence of funding to actually recruit staff," he said.
"Last year they announced they would be increasing bed numbers by close to 300.
"We haven't seen any sign of that occurring at a practical level, for the wards in our hospitals."
Treasurer Peter Gutwein said the 2019-20 budget would include $8.1 billion for health services in Tasmania over the next four years - an increase of $544 million.
"The budget is very much about maintaining the momentum and investing for growth in our essential services," he said.
"Health represents nearly 32 per cent of the entire state budget, the second highest of any state in Australia, and compares to around 25 per cent a decade ago."
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmania branch executive director Andrew Brakey said while extra money into the health budget was welcome, without additional staff hospital pressures would continue to increase.
"Staff in the emergency department at the LGH are seeing the same amount of pressure as far as ambulance ramping and bed-block goes," he said.
"It would have been good to have seen some forward planning for the LGH as well."
Labor health spokeswoman Sarah Lovell said the health minister needed to ensure state budget funding reached all areas of the state.
Mr Ferguson said the budget would continue the government's strong investment in health.
"It is misleading and unhelpful for Labor and other interested groups to comment on a budget they have not even seen," he said.
"There will be record health funding in this budget, which will fund vital health services and infrastructure right across the state.
"Our track record shows we have been successful in recruiting frontline health staff, with 800 additional staff employed since 2014."
Jessica Willard
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
