The increasing demand at the state's hospitals was identified in an annual report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

The most recent AIHW MyHospital data found after a drop in hospital presentations during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for the state's hospitals was starting to climb.

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Data showed that compared to an average increase of three per cent in patient demand over the past six years, the rise in patients between 2019-20 and 2020-21 had more than doubled to 7.4 per cent.

AIHW spokesperson Dr Adrian Webster said the increase was likely due to the removal of COVID-19 restrictions.

"The significant increase in hospitalisation at the national level can be largely attributed to the easing of restrictions following the first waves of the pandemic in most states and territories, particularly restrictions on elective, or non-emergency surgery," he said.

He said the increase also represented efforts by the state's hospitals to clear the backlog of surgeries that had been created the previous year.

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Dr Webster's comments were reflected in the statewide decline of Tasmanian elective surgery waiting lists over the past 12 months, which has declined from 11,817 in April last year to 9,628 this year.

While that figure represented a statewide decline of 2189 patients on the waiting list, the Launceston General Hospital only recorded a decline of about 600 patients.

Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff said $196.4 million had been committed to delivering around 30,000 extra elective surgeries and endoscopies over four years, which had contributed to the year on year decline, but acknowledged more needed to be done to reduce pressure on the state's hospitals.

Earlier this year, the Australian Medical Association released its public hospital scorecard which identified Tasmanian hospitals as some of the country's most under pressure.

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At the time, AMA Tasmania spokesperson Dr Glenn Richardson said the LGH was particularly susceptible, with an under-pressure ED and hospital-wide bed block.

The rise in demand for beds was also identified by the AIHW report which found the number of days inpatients were required to remain in the state's hospitals - occupying a bed - between 2019-20 and 2020-21 had risen by 4.9 per cent.

Prior to the pandemic Tasmanian patients spent about 452,000 days in hospital, with that number falling to about 443,000 during the height of COVID, although, coming out of the pandemic that number had risen to about 465,000.

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Heart failure, knee and hip replacements were identified as the three conditions requiring the longest patient stays in public hospitals Australia wide.

Nationally, Tasmania sat sixth on the list of total patients seen in 2020-21, just ahead of the ACT and the Northern Territory, but well below the other mainland states.

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