Revelations that Tasmanians are waiting weeks for crucial pathology results point to ongoing government failure to ensure proper staffing of healthcare in Tasmania. The Liberals must exempt pathology services from their hiring freeze and ensure they are adequately staffed so patients can get the care they need.
The Liberals proposed public sector hiring freeze will only result in worse services and higher costs for Tasmanians. The Liberals are out of touch with the needs of Tasmanians, with the Rockliff Government acting to cut staff at a time when more staff should be employed in pathology services, not less.
Patients and their treating health professionals rely on pathology results for diagnosis and treatment. Waiting well beyond normal timeframes for results because of staffing issues has serious implications for patient care, prognosis and health outcomes.
It is unacceptable that Tasmanian patients’ health is being jeopardised by delays in biopsy testing. The Liberal Government have been aware of this gap in service for some time, and increases to pathology staff have been approved, but the Liberals have not released the funding to allow for recruitment of new staff.
Once again, the Rockliff Government are failing to ensure the level of health services Tasmanians need. At a time when pressure on health services and staff is increasing, the Government have mandated cuts across the service, including a hiring freeze.
The Tasmanian Greens call on the Rockliff Government to fund the hiring of new staff in pathology services and exempt allied health staff including pathology staff from hiring freezes. The Liberal Government should also provide incentives to attract new staff and keep graduate pathologists in Tasmania, rather than allowing them to be lost to mainland positions.
