A health union fears people will die because of cuts to surgery at the Mersey Community Hospital.
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Health and Community Services Union assistant secretary Robbie Moore said staff at the hospital were worried about the impact of cuts this financial year.
"The staff think people will die because they won't get the surgery and diagnostic services they need," Mr Moore said.
"The North-West community desperately need timely access to diagnostic services.
"Staff are concerned about the impact on patients of cuts to urology and ear, nose and throat surgery."
A Tasmanian Health Service spokesman disputed the cuts but indicated surgery sessions would vary.
"The same level of elective surgery and other procedures will be provided at the Mersey in 2019-20 as last financial year," he said.
"The mix of procedures is determined by clinicians and will vary from year-to-year based on capacity and need."
Mr Moore believes the directive by hospital management to reduce services was part of efficiency dividends.
They include:
- Urology (Diagnostic cystoscopy) decreased to one session a month instead of one a fortnight.
- Ophthalmology (cataract surgery) decreased to one day per fortnight instead of one day a week.
- Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) surgery to decrease to one list a month instead of one list per fortnight and
- General surgery to decrease as well.
A government spokesperson said there was no impact regarding the efficiency dividend.
""As we have repeatedly said, it will not impact on the delivery of frontline services," she said.
Mr Moore said all of the sessions had been steadily decreasing when the Mersey was supposed to be a "day surgery hub".
"The reality is day surgery is steadily decreasing not increasing. This could be in breach of the funding agreement with the commonwealth.
The Mersey has a helipad and that was built so people could come for treatment, it is a waste not to be do more surgery."
Mr Moore is also worried that one emergency session at the North West Regional Hospital also will be cut.
"I'm told that one emergency session at the NWRH will be taken away and moved into the day session time, so that effectively reduces elective surgery there as well," he said.