In the lead up to the federal election, The Examiner conducted a poll of the issues that mattered most to Northern voters with more support for healthcare identified as the biggest issue.
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Despite a strong swing to the Liberals in Tasmania, the country will now have a new government led by the Australian Labor Party's Anthony Albanese, who throughout the election put healthcare and health spending at the forefront of his campaign.
Voter desire for better healthcare in Northern Tasmania was met with over $50 million for several key health projects in both Bass and Lyons, which Mr Albanese's new government must now move to fulfil.
Northern Hospice
The most significant commitment came in the form of $20 million to begin capital works on a dedicated palliative care hospice at the Launceston General Hospital.
Labor originally pledged $5 million to the project, but increased their commitment to $20 million just days later saying support from Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff warranted the increased commitment.
Launceston has been without a dedicated hospice facility since the closure of Philip Oakden House in 2007, however, the issue has been kept firmly in the limelight by the Friends of Northern Hospice who have lobbied state and federal governments for the service for years.
New base for RFDS
Regional health will also receive a boost with the Tasmanian arm of the Royal Flying Doctors Service receiving $15 million to develop a new Northern base at the Launceston Airport.
The RFDS provide urgent aeromedical services to the state, as well as primary and dental care to remote communities. Recently the RFDS worked with the state government to vaccinate rural and remote communities against COVID-19.
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At the time of the announcement, RFDS Tasmanian chairman Malcolm White said the base built 20 years ago from donations and fundraising was no longer fit for purpose.
He said the investment would future-proof the service and improve the organisation's facilities and capacity to provide remote care.
The redevelopment will include new clinical facilities, improved capacity for rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, ground vehicle transfers and additional space for surge workers in the case of an outbreak.
LGH Medical research centre
The development of a research centre for the Launceston General Hospital has been in the works for several years, spearheaded by Northern medical charity the Clifford Craig Foundation.
The ALP's commitment to providing $4 million in capital funding for the project has brought the development one step closer to realisation.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding put in place last year, the state government has also committed to providing $2 million over five years to cover the centre's running costs.
As part of the LGH master plan, 1300 square metres have been allocated for the research centre in the Northern Integrated Care Service building, which for the first time will bring all the hospital's research activity under one roof.
The centre will include a management and governance structure through the creation of four new Tasmanian Health Service roles including a director of research, business and site governance coordinator, clinical trials manager and research nurse co-ordinator.
After years of advocating for a dedicated centre at the LGH, Clifford Craig chief executive Peter Milne said he welcomed the commitment.
Bulk billed urgent care centres
Tasmania will receive three of Labor's bulk billed urgent care centres, with two of the GP located clinics based in the North and North-West.
Launceston and Burnie will both be home to a centre which formed a key part of the ALP's policy to address primary health care and reduce pressure on acute services and the state's public hospitals.
Over $135 million will be invested over four years to establish and trial 50 clinics nationally, which has received mixed support from the medical community.
The Australian Medical Association said it was supportive of any measure which funded the extension of operating hours in general practice, while Newstead Medical Centre practice partner Dr Toby Gardner said he was concerned about how the clinics would be staffed.
W.P. Holman Clinic pilot program
The W.P. Holman Clinic at the Launceston General Hospital was pledged $580,000 to fund a three-year program to support cancer survivors in the North and North West of the state.
The program will focus on the long-term impacts of cancer and provide ongoing follow-ups and surveillance, management of late effects, rehabilitation and capacity and resilience building.
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The Holman Clinic offers a range of specialist inpatient and outpatient care including medical oncology, radiation oncology and clinical haematology.
As part of the program, a full-time clinical nurse consultant will coordinate and run support programs in conjunction with non-government organisations and community partners to link patients with local resources.
Respite and Training centre
A specialist respite and training centre proposed for Launceston by Community Care Tasmania will receive $2.8 million to develop its Respite and Training Centre for Excellence at Technopark Drive in Kings Meadows.
The development would see more beds made available for respite care in the state's North while providing the resources needed to train additional carers.
The proposed facility would include six rooms each with an individual ensuite available for respite care, along with a communal lounge, consultation rooms, nurses' offices and a training facility.
CCT chief executive Wendy Mitchell said the organisation serviced 2000 clients across the state with the aged care sector making up approximately 80 per cent of their clientele.
She said the facility had the capacity for external RTOs to train 55 support workers completing their certificates II and III in aged care and or disability, with CTT in talks with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and TasTAFE to train up to 25 nurses and about 30 allied health workers.
Brighton health infrastructure
The Northern suburb of Brighton will receive $1.5 million to help the Brighton Council deliver a walk-in after-hours health centre.
The investment into the regional town formed part of Labor's pledge to improve GP access, mental health care in outer-metro, regional and rural Australia after the town lost seven GPs in recent years.
Lyons Labor MHR Brian Mitchell said as one of the fastest-growing regions in Tasmania the community was in desperate need of health infrastructure, with the $1.5 million investment to go towards the development of a new building where GPs could practice.
Aquatic health and wellbeing centre
A $15 million commitment was made to redevelop the George Town aquatic centre described by the George Town Council and ALP as a project that would improve NDIS services and bring more allied health professionals to the town.
The funds will allow the council to develop the centre into a multi-use facility, which included indoor and outdoor pools that could be used for hydrotherapy and a 24-hour-gym and fitness rooms.
A report by rural workforce agency HR+ noted that NDIS participants in George Town had difficulties purchasing the support they needed, with average participants spending only 49 per cent of their packages.
George Town Mayor Greg Kieser said the improved infrastructure would make it easier for the town to recruit and retain allied health providers
"If we provide the infrastructure and make it easy for those allied health professionals to come into the George Town community on a regular repeat basis, I am absolutely confident that you will see a much higher level of service establishment in George Town," he said.
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