The release of new health data through the Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services shows Tasmania lagging the nation, going backwards in key parts of the health system, and shows why health funding should be a priority over a stadium.
The results for ambulance services in these figures are deeply concerning. Tasmania has again recorded the worst response times in the country, with the average emergency waiting 14.9 minutes to get an ambulance.
It’s not just that our results have always been bad – there has been rapid deterioration under the Liberals. In their first full year of government, one in ten ambulance patients was waiting for 25 minutes in an emergency. Ten years later and one in ten of these patients are waiting over 36 minutes. It’s truly alarming.
While paramedics and other ambulance staff are doing their best, they’ve been constantly let down. Two years ago the government’s own expert report said they needed to rapidly expand this critical workforce, but these figures show only 7 more paramedics now employed.
Given the entire country is experiencing major challenges in hospital care, it’s a real worry to see Tasmania actually going backwards in the pack. For the first time ever, Tasmania has fallen into last place on a critical measure – how many patients are able to leave the ED within four hours. There has been deterioration on this measure every year without fail since the Liberals came to government. Starting at 66.7% in 2014/15 the figure now sits at just 50.4%.
Things are even worse for mental health patients who present to EDs, with just 42% seen within clinically recommended timeframes. And just as worrying – on a population basis Tasmania has the least staff employed in specialised mental health services.
These national comparisons are a clear reminder of why the government can’t just keep doing what they’re doing when it comes to health. Every year we hear Liberal politicians say they’re doing enough to address the health crisis, and every year outcomes are getting worse.
Tasmanians deserve so much better than what they’re getting from the Liberals on health. It’s time the government got their priorities sorted. Rather than pouring taxpayer funds into building a billion-dollar stadium, they should focus on what we really need – like proper funding for the health system.
