Outrage as $35 million cut from emergency department budget: Labor

The state government's 2023-2024 budget allocates just under $2.9 billion to health services, a $140 million cut to health from the previous financial year.

The recent budget showed emergency department (ED) services slashed by more than $34 million.

Despite this, Health Minister Guy Barnett said the government had invested a record spend on health.

"The government was investing more than $8 million a day on health to ensure Tasmanians have access to the health services they need," Mr Barnett said.

"We are boosting our local health workforce and this is reflected in the new doctors and nurses wage agreements, which increases pay and improves conditions."

Labor's health spokeswoman Anita Dow queried the budget cuts during state parliament question time on November 2.

"The Department of Health's annual report shows it spent $3.04 billion on health services in the previous financial year," Ms Dow said.

"Your current budget, however, allocates just under $2.9 billion this financial year."

Ms Dow said cuts were made to ED services, ambulance services, mental health services and more.

"Your own budget spells out where you will make these cuts," she said.

"There is $34 million being cut from our EDs, which are already at breaking point. $10 million being cut from community health services, when we need to be doing everything we can to keep people healthy and out of hospital and $2.5 million being cut from ambulance services when ramping is out of control.

"How can our health system possibly cope with these massive cuts?"

Australian Medical Association (AMA) Tasmania president Dr John Saul said as Australia's and especially Tasmania's population continues to age, more money needs to be invested into the healthcare system.

"We need to see consistent, meaningful change, and we need to respect the fact that we're an ageing population," Dr Saul said.

"Unfortunately, as we all age, we're putting more and more pressure on our healthcare system.

"Thankfully, we're living longer, happier, healthier lives, but that comes at a cost.

"If we want a high level of health care for all Australians, it's going to be expensive."