ANMF calls for 'equal access' to health summit solutions for Northern Tasmania

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation have called on the state government to invest greater resources to ensure "equal access" to healthcare for all Tasmanians.

ANMF Tasmania branch secretary Emily Shepherd said agreed solutions identified at Wednesday's health summit to address ambulance ramping, bed block and a lack of capacity at the RHH, were needed just as much at the Launceston General and North West Regional hospitals.

"Both emergency departments are experiencing long wait times for patients to access care in the EDs," she said.

"There are significant delays in patients being able to access in-patient beds from the ED and also ambulance ramping.

"Our members are reporting, even in the last week, that they've had some of the worst shifts they've experienced throughout their career here at the LGH."

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A government spokesman said Health Minister Michael Ferguson agreed the solutions should also be applied to the LGH, which is "exactly why he invited LGH ED leadership to the meeting".

Ms Shepherd said ANMF members working in the LGH ED had been campaigning for more than 12 months to see improvements made to patient flow.

This included proposed capital works costed at $1 million for the enclosure of an airlock, to enable patients on ambulance trolleys to be moved into the emergency department.

Ms Shepherd said positions implemented as a result of the government's $1.5 million, six month ED support package had also ended.

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"Their contracts have expired, they've been removed and staff are now wondering what it is they will be receiving in terms of funding and resources moving forward," she said.

However, a government spokesman said the ANMF seemed unaware that a number of critical strategies of the support package, identified by staff as having high value in improving patient flow, were continuing.

"This includes the extra physician outreach team to support patients in ED, the clinical nurse coordinator role to expedite early discharge to sub-acute facilities, as well as extra senior nursing support in ED," he said.

The spokesman said finalised actions for how the Health Department and Australasian College for Emergency Medicine planned to implement the agreed solutions from Wednesday's meeting, will be released next week.

This included a zero tolerance for 24-hour stays in the ED and putting in an appropriate system to eliminate ambulance ramping.