CHAIR – Minister, it’s good to see the release or are you tabling the 20‑year preventative health strategy consultation from round one? You talked about the funding for preventative health strategies and significant funding, or you talked about there was some funding. Can you tell me what percentage of the overall Health budget is spent on preventative health?
Mrs ARCHER – To date, through the Healthy Tasmania work, do you mean?
CHAIR – And in forward Estimates, what’s likely?
Mrs ARCHER – Yeah, I think we probably have.
CHAIR – Would you like to take that on notice?
Mrs ARCHER – We are currently at 3.13 per cent of the Department of Health Budget and the government has also spent $270 million in other portfolios on health, school nurses, for example. As I said, while a lot of the fundings for preventative health, it’s not necessarily included in the calculation. It recognises that over 70 per cent of health outcomes are shaped by factors outside the direct control of the health system, and when those systems are under strain, the pressure lands in health. That is, I think part of the focus of the preventative health strategy. It is also recognising that that’s a whole‑of‑government response. There has been commentary on a five per cent target, for example, and the government has quite intentionally not committed to that because I don’t think we want to lock ourselves into that. You really want to look at exceeding that across a whole‑of‑government situation is the point that we’re trying to get to.
CHAIR – Minister, I think you’re really well aware of the benefits of preventative health and we could be the healthiest island in the world. So, given the relatively low amount of spending of the overall budget for health and the importance of those positions in relation to preventative health, can you commit that all the positions relating to preventative health will be quarantined from any vacancy control measures, including strategy and policy positions?
Mrs ARCHER – I think what we’re looking to do is, as I’ve said a few times today, we have this draft consultation out for comment, now. It has been very exciting to see the level of engagement that Tasmanians have had with that. It is an enormous opportunity and certainly one that I have a very strong commitment to.
As for ruling things in and out, what I’m very keen to do is to look at it as a 20‑year strategy to see how it can work differently, and what we might be able to do. I wouldn’t want to pre‑empt that, I suppose is what I’m saying, by ruling things in and out. I want to see what comes back on the final consultation and I really want to continue the strong engagement that people have had with that, both in the community but also the opportunity for the parliament to do that and to have input into that as well. I know there is a strong interest in this across the parliament, so I don’t want to rule things in and out, but I’m very committed to this 20‑year strategy. I think it’s a very bold strategy and something significant to go out beyond election cycles. I’m very keen for that to deliver on the promise of that without ruling anything in or out.
