3 October 2018

On the 14th of September the ANMF alongside representatives from across the state, presented to the Re-established Inquiry into Acute Health Care Services in Tasmania. We highlighted the broad impact the Liberal Government’s meagre health budget has had on the Tasmanian Public Health System, Nurses, Midwives and Care Workers as well as patient care across the state.

ANMF representatives from the North West Integrated Maternity Service, Launceston General Hospital Emergency Department and the Royal Hobart Hospital provided raw and emotional first-hand clinical examples of working within the Tasmanian Acute Health Care Service. Including current examples of where challenges at the clinical coal face are getting worse with no remedial action being taken by the Tasmanian Government.

In the weeks following this and two further verbal presentations to the committee, ANMF further submitted a comprehensive overview of member suggested solutions for addressing the many challenges currently experienced by Nurses, Midwives and patients when accessing public acute health service.

The Budget Issue
One of the critical solutions which ANMF called upon the committee to consider in their recommendations was for the Tasmanian Government to urgently increase the health budget. This is based upon ANMF member experience that any solution to address staffing requirements, improved bed block and patient flow that is raised to Tasmanian Health Service Executive is not being supported if it is not already included in the budget. This is causing significant risks to member and patient safety and quality care provision.

“What we know is that all levels of the Tasmanian Health Service and Department of Health are working to support their staff, however they are completely disempowered to provide the support and resources required to meet patient demand (wherever physically possible) and ensure that nursing and midwifery staffing levels are sufficient to provide the care and treatment. This is due to the Tasmanian Governments short sighted budget policy that will see Tasmanians health suffer while the Liberal Government amasses a significant cash surplus,” said ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary, Emily Shepherd.

The Leaked Report
In the week following the last ANMF appearance to the Legislative Council Committee a report of the Analysis of Health Funding for the Tasmanian Health Service conducted in March 2018 and undertaken by RDME Consulting, was leaked to the media. This report clearly highlighted that health service growth rates within the Tasmanian Health Service over the last few years range between 3%-6% yet the state contribution to the growth in actual expenditure was 2.1%. The report also highlighted that the Tasmanian Health Service has consistently, in the last few years, operated in successive cash deficits and it is highly likely that there exists a significant and growing structural deficit in funding. The RDME analysis references a KPMG report which estimates the deficit to be around 90 million dollars.

What does this all mean?
This leaked report and information further support the ANMF’s call for the Tasmanian Government to urgently increase the Tasmanian Health Budget for the sake of staff and patient welfare. The ANMF will continue to advocate for members and patients for a more realistic budget that ensures that members will not have to continue working in untenable environments with unsustainable workloads and ensure patients are receiving safe and quality care due to appropriate resources being provided.

“It is time the Minister for Health, the Premier of Tasmania and the broader Tasmanian Government acknowledge that they have mislead the community by putting budgets before patient health and safe working conditions,” said Ms Shepherd.