Clinical Trials Unit – Rally

WHAT: Rally for RHH Clinical Trials Unit

WHERE: RHH, Campbell Street Entrance

WHEN: 11.30am, Monday, 13 October, 2025

The ANMF and HACSU will again take to the streets to highlight the potential loss of the Clinical Trials Unit at the Royal Hobart Hospital at 11.30am, Monday, 13 October 2025.

ANMF Branch Secretary Emily Shepherd said the Tasmanian Government and the Department of Health are ploughing ahead with plans to decimate the Clinical Trials Unit at The Royal Hobart Hospital.

“ANMF members will be taking action in their lunch break, calling on the community to join them in lobbying their local politicians in an effort to save the CTU in the upcoming Tasmanian Budget.

“The ANMF has raised this matter directly with the Health Minister Bridget Archer.

“On behalf of members, we put forward further correspondence to the Minister highlighting that clinical trials have been impacted by the delays by the Department of Health approval committee.

“The committee signs off on clinical trials and as a result many trials that would have been fully funded were withdrawn due to the delays.

“There have also been options for additional trials, which would have resulted in savings of up to $25,000 per patient. But to date, this has been ignored by the Department of Health.”

Ms Shepherd said the ANMF was advised the Department of Health would meet to discuss a workload model weeks ago.

“Yet no meeting has been established and the ANMF has had to forge ahead with a dispute in the Industrial Commission, with another conciliation meeting due this week.

“If the Tasmanian Government thinks that cutting the Clinical Trials Unit is going to save them money, then it is deluded.

“Cuts to the Trial Unit will only result in a greater reliance on the Tasmanian Government by the patients who would have been offered better quality of life or even a cure.

“This decision is short-sighted, ill-informed and flies in the face of evidence-based research which shows the increasing incidence of cancer in Tasmania and across Australia.

“There are targeted therapies established out of research like that undertaken at the RHH CTU, ultimately stemming the rising tide of cancer diagnoses.”

-End-

Media contact:
Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary
Mobile: 0400 884 021
Email: Emily.Shepherd@anmftas.org.au