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Budget Update

The ANMF attended the Budget Lockup on Thursday 12 November 2020, where the Tasmanian Government finally announced the budget for the 2020-2021 financial year as well as outlining a number of longer term funding allocations for Health across the forward estimates.

A summary of the key the new funding announcements for Health included:

  • Additional Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Educators
  • COVID-19 Health General Allocation  – This includes a $51.7 million allocation to support the continued COVID-19 response
  • COVID-19 Rapid Response Team – $1.6 million allocation to support the Rapid Response Team in the event of a further outbreak
  • Elective Surgery Funding – $45.5 million over two years to address the rising elective surgery wait times
  • Health Care and Front Line Workers Accommodation – This continues the commitment for public sector nurses and midwives to be supported in alternate accommodation if they live with vulnerable family members during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Primary Health Support – An allocation of 1.3 million was allocated to equip the primary health sector to continue its response to COVID-19
  • Demand and Bed – An additional $50.2 million over two years to meet demand faced by major hospitals and to support opening beds in major hospitals
  • Child and Adolescent Health – $4 million was allocated over two years to support the recommendations of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services review
  • Mental Health Integration and Reform – $4.1 million over two years was allocated to address priority areas in the Rethink Mental Health Plan 2015-2025.
  • Reform Agenda for the Alcohol and Drug Sector – $4.9 million was allocated over two years for the Reform Agenda for the Alcohol and Drug Sector
  • 30 New Graduate Nursing Positions across the State
  • Digital Health Transformation and Human Resources Information System – 21.6 million allocated to upgrade HR systems to do away with paper-based processing

Southern Update

  • 250 Beds for the Royal Hobart Hospital
  • Commencing in 2020-21 $299.3 million has been allocated to over four years by fully staffing 250 new beds. These beds will be progressively rolled out from 2020-2021, which includes 10 new Intensive Care Unit beds.
  • A continued 5 million dollars to meet health demand at the Royal Hobart Hospital continues in this budget

Northern Update

  • Air Conditioning – A further 1 million dollars was allocated to the Launceston General Hospital for additional compliance work in relation to air conditioning
  • An additional 5 million to address car parking at the Launceston General Hospital in addition to the $87 million that has been committed to the Launceston General Hospital redevelopment in the 2018-2019 budget
  • A commitment of 2 million dollars to address the Air Lock issues at the Launceston General Hospital Emergency Department
  • In the forward estimates, a funding allocation for 32 beds in Ward 3D has been allocated for 2023-2024

North West Update

  • A funding allocation for additional staff and services is included in this financial year and across the forward estimates
  • Funding allocations in this financial year and across the forward estimates for the 8 Acute Medical Beds, Short Stay Emergency Department, and Short Stay Surgical Beds

Community and Public Aged Care Services

  • The 2020-2021 Budget allocates $190 000 to purchase property on Flinders Island as well as refurbishments to provide better accommodation to nursing, medical and allied health staff working in Flinders Island

Clearly, the budget was focused, appropriately so, on the COVID-19 response, however it missed the need to invest in the Nursing and Midwifery workforce and the need to grow the numbers of Tasmanian Nurses and Midwives. In addition, despite lobbying for support of District Hospitals across the State, there was no allocation to implement a staffing model to support these essential services. The ANMF will continue to lobby for the investment into the Nursing and Midwifery workforces as a matter of priority.

Updates correct as at 11 November 2020.
Authorised by Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary

ASSISTANCE & SUPPORT

Member Support Team:

The ANMF Tasmanian Branch is 8000 plus members strong! Supporting nurses, midwives, and care workers as the only union in Tasmania employing nurses and care workers to represent members. This is why our Organisers and Member Support Team are uniquely positioned to understand your experiences, represent you in your workplace, and offer industrial advice that’s relevant to you.

Please contact our Member Support Team if you need workplace support, would like to discuss any matters or raise a concern. Alternatively, you can send an email outlining your concerns to our team - membersupport@anmftas.org.au. Email is the preferred and fastest way of contacting the team, however if your matter is urgent, please phone (03) 6223 6777 or 1800 001 241 if you are outside of Hobart.

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