Premier Jeremy Rockliff has backed the Tasmanian Health Service to manage the increasing demand facing the Launceston General Hospital, despite a prolonged COVID-outbreak and staffing shortages.
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On Tuesday, the THS recommended the public "reconsider attending the LGH emergency department" which was experiencing a surge in patient presentations.
Responding to questions by Labor's health spokesperson Anita Dow on Wednesday morning, Mr Rockliff said he was aware of the pressure and demand on the LGH ED.
He said the THS had put arrangements in place to use private and regional hospital beds and relocate patients from the LGH to manage the surge.
According to one nurse at the LGH, the surge has been driven by a rise in patients presenting with "non-urgent "category four and five conditions and older inpatients with chronic illnesses and comorbidities requiring longer stays.
Department of Health secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks did not advise what percentage of patients at the LGH were presenting with less acute conditions, but said there was an improvement in patient flow on Tuesday night.
She said the outbreak on ward 5D - which has been closed to new admissions - had also impacted patient flow.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian secretary Emily Shepherd said the issue had been compounded by low staffing numbers, with nurses working double shifts to meet demand.
"I know that they had hundreds of vacancies in March this year and we're dealing with not only COVID related sickness, but we're also dealing with all these vacancies and just exacerbating the issue of staff having to work double shifts and overtime to keep services running," she said.
She said mainland competition and an ageing workforce meant experienced nurses were leaving the hospital with not enough qualified staff to fill the gap, an issue the ANMF say the government could have avoided if it implemented a workforce strategy in 2018.
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"If we were competitive in terms of wages or conditions, we would have kept all those nurses and midwives that left because they left for better-paying conditions in other states and territories," she said.
"We would have had more of our graduates here in Tasmania and we would have actually had a more robust nursing workforce than what we do now."
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Andrew Chounding
An experienced multi-platform journalist focusing on the issues that impact health in Tasmania. With a background in social research and public policy, health reporting for Andrew is about ensuring the best health outcomes for the Northern Tasmanian community. Contact Andrew at: andrew.chounding@examiner.com.au or 0437 358 262
An experienced multi-platform journalist focusing on the issues that impact health in Tasmania. With a background in social research and public policy, health reporting for Andrew is about ensuring the best health outcomes for the Northern Tasmanian community. Contact Andrew at: andrew.chounding@examiner.com.au or 0437 358 262
