Increasing Launceston General Hospital's escalation policy will help manage a crisis, but it won't look after patients, according to the hospital's director of intensive care.
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LGH medical staff association chairman Scott Parkes has welcomed calls from unions for a fourth escalation level to be implemented at the hospital, in response to increased demand.
However he said the root of problems at the LGH was a lack of beds, describing an escalation policy as a "way of reshuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic".
"Reviewing the escalation policy is a really good idea," he said.
"It gives people a path to follow, but it does not fix the problem. It helps manage a crisis more effectively, but it does not look after patients.
"What looks after patients is doctors, nurses, surgeons, allied health and physical beds. The definitive solution for this hospital is more beds."
The LGH spent 70 per cent of time between June 2018 and January 2019 at level three of its three-level escalation protocol.
Tasmania's Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and Health and Community Services Union have called for a fourth escalation level to be implemented at the LGH - something that was introduced to the Royal Hobart Hospital in 2017.
Dr Parkes said the hospital's fundamental problem was its size, with serious investment to needed to catch up to demand for services.
"Within a reasonable period of time, to get another 30 to 60 beds at this hospital - that would be a big solution to this problem," he said.
"But we don't have time frame or know how this is going to be achieved. And the longer this goes on, the more problems we create."
Health Minister Sarah Courtney said the government had recruited more than 400 additional FTE of health staff for the LGH since 2014 - a 23 per cent increase - including almost 240 FTE of nurses and 45 FTE more doctors which allowed the hospital to "bolster services and re-open beds, including on Ward 4D".
However, ANMF Tasmania branch secretary Emily Shepherd said the government needed to inject additional funds to increase capacity at the LGH, including infrastructure, and improving staffing levels.
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.
