The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine says Tasmania's healthcare system continues to fall short compared to other states on a range of measures, with issues associated with access block continuing to manifest in emergency departments.

It comes amid numerous reports of patients waiting far beyond the recommended timeframe for assessments and admission at the LGH - the most recent being an 87-year-old who waited for nine hours in a plastic chair in the ED waiting room while suffering pneumonia.

Related news:

ACEM President Dr John Bonning said the college expressed its sympathy to all Tasmanians who had endured distressing experiences, at a time when they most needed care.

"The increasing pressures hospital emergency departments are currently under cannot be written off as a blip or post-pandemic surge," he said.

"In reality this is a continuation and an exacerbation of trends we have been seeing for years. Presentation numbers have been increasing for years, and are predictable.

"We have hit a ceiling, and we must see systemic support and planning to find solutions."

A 2019 survey conducted by ACEM found the LGH was worst performing hospital for patient access block in Australia.

Now, Dr Bonning says new research has shown a person arriving at an access blocked ED is 10 per cent more likely to die within the next seven days than a person who arrives at an ED that is not access blocked.

"Access block is a whole of health and hospital system issue manifest in the ED. It is incredibly distressing and frustrating for ED staff, who continue to try their hardest to provide the best possible care in the face of these difficult systemic issues over which they have very little control," he said.

The Tasmanian Health Service maintains the LGH follows internationally consistent triage protocols, with the latest data showing just under half of the patients who present to the ED depart within four hours.

Health Minister Sarah Courtney has also acknowledged there is "more to do" to improve services at the hospital.

Ahead of the state election, Dr Bonning said parties must focus on addressing the "insidious systemic issues leading to access block".

"Tasmania is currently facing serious healthcare workforce supply issues, and these need to be addressed in system-wide solutions," he said.

"As the healthcare system continues to fall short compared to other states on a range of measures, we need parties at the very least to commit to targets to reduce ramping, overcrowding and access block to meet national benchmarks.

"At a bare minimum, people in Launceston and Tasmania as a whole deserve the standard of care afforded people on the mainland, and that should just be a starting point."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: