The LGH bucked the state-wide trend by recording a two per cent increase in the number of patients released from the ED within four hours.

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Patients seen within the clinically recommended time frame rose from 1559 in April to 1600, however, the total number of presentations at the LGH ED declined by 53 during the same period.

The North-West Regional Hospital and the Royal Hobart Hospital both saw the number of patients treated within four hours decline, while patients seen at the Mersey Community Hospital remained unchanged.

The decline at the LGH during May coincided with a request from the Department of Health that people with non-life-threatening illnesses avoid the ED in favour of a general practitioner.

The request was made by department secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks after a COVID outbreak was recorded at the hospital, and the same week the ED experienced a rise in acute presentations.

"If people have conditions that are not life-threatening and can be treated by a general practitioner, we encourage them to reconsider attending the Launceston General Hospital Emergency Department during this surge period," she said.

"As the hospital manages increased demand for emergency services, we ask the public for their patience and understanding should they experience longer waiting times for lower acuity presentations."

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The LGH also saw a rise in the number of urgent cases seen on time across the same period, but the two least severe categories declined.

Triage category one remained at 100 per cent, while category two increased by six per cent and category three remained unchanged at 45 per cent.

Category four declined by one per cent and the least severe category declined by five per cent.

In the South of the state, Tasmania's largest referral hospital the RHH saw declines across categories two to five, while category five remained at 100 per cent.

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Despite a decline in demand on the LGH ED, Launceston GPs reported a rise in the number of patients presenting at their clinics.

In May the Launceston Health Hub and Respiratory Clinic in South Launceston confirmed they had seen a spike in presentations driven by seasonal winter illnesses.

GP Dr Jerome Muir Wilson runs the Launceston respiratory clinic and said the clinic had experienced a 50 per cent rise in people presenting during the second half of May.

The Rise in demand was also felt by the Newstead Urgent Care Clinic, with practice partner and GP Dr Toby Gardner saying the demand had followed from May into June.

Dr Gardner said the last week, the weekend of June 18, was the busiest the clinic had seen in its history with the spike taking a toll on the clinic's doctors and staff.

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