Despite having had seven years to address this crisis of their own making, it seems even the Liberals couldn't ignore Tasmanians' growing concern. The chaos in our public hospitals was almost a daily theme throughout the campaign, with both the Launceston General Hospital and Royal Hobart Hospital at breaking point. More than 50,000 people are waiting for a specialist appointment, necessary surgery waiting lists have blown out to 12,000 Tasmanians, bed block in emergency departments is now commonplace and Tasmania has the worst ambulance response times in the country.

And while our health professionals continue to do an amazing job under ever-trying circumstances, they are left to bear the brunt of public frustration while dealing with their own physical and mental exhaustion due to long hours and inadequate shift breaks.

One of Mr Gutwein's first decisions after his re-election was to appoint a new Health Minister - Jeremy Rockliff.

But the fact is that, without more funding and a real plan to address the health crisis, a new minister makes little difference.

The problems haven't gone away - they've just been handballed to someone else.

The much-touted $580 million LGH redevelopment is a case in point. The Liberals have been clear that this redevelopment - their signature health infrastructure commitment - would be dependent on funding from the Commonwealth. But after the Morrison government failed to allocate a cent to the project in the Federal Budget, Mr Rockliff needs to explain how it will be funded.

There are also serious concerns about how the Gutwein government intends to staff the proposed redevelopment, considering the reality is that right now it is struggling to adequately staff the existing LGH.

Mr Rockliff must release a clear plan on how he intends to not only attract staff but also retain staff and how those staff will be funded into the future - not cut as Tasmanians have seen under the two previous Health Ministers.

With another COVID-19 outbreak on our doorstep, the government also needs to take immediate action to bring our health system up to an acceptable standard that can cope with any outbreaks here. The Australian Medical Association has said an outbreak of COVID in Tasmania would have a catastrophic impact on a health system that is already in crisis.

As tensions rise amid the situation in Victoria, doctors here say Tasmania's two main hospitals would become completely dysfunctional under a wave of COVID or even the ordinary flu. They have called for an urgent roundtable to find solutions.

Surely, it is beyond time that the government listened to our health professionals - the very people working in the system and navigating its many shortcomings.

We saw last year just how quickly the pandemic can take hold, with the North West outbreak and extended lockdown causing pain and hardship. The Liberals can claim all they want that they have plans in place should COVID spread, but a system already straining under immense pressure is clearly not going to be able to withstand a major public health emergency.

Tasmania's border restrictions can only go so far in keeping us safe - they need to be backed up by an agile health system that will not break under any additional pressure.

As Labor's policies recognise, health needs to be a budget priority, with a clear need for more doctors, nurses and other allied health professionals. But we also need to go beyond the economics and rethink the way we deliver health services. We need better alternatives to hospital care, more community care and a stronger focus on preventative care to keep people out of hospital in the first place. And we need a much more accessible system for the tens of thousands living in rural and regional areas who are crying out for better support and facilities, emergency care, maternity care and mental health services.

No one deserves to have their health suffer because of where they live. Tasmania needs a system that gives everyone timely access to effective health services. There can be no more excuses, delays or cuts. Everyone will be watching closely to see if Mr Gutwein keeps his promise this time and finally delivers.