LGH ED Overflowing – ANMF Back to the TIC
7 July 2026
Media Doorstop
WHERE: Launceston General Hospital – Charles Street
WHEN: Tuesday 7 July, 2026
TIME: 12 NOON
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian Branch (ANMF) is supporting members at the Launceston General Hospital ED with a chaotic and unsafe ED over the last 24 hours.
ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary, Emily Shepherd said on Monday night, the ED was overflowing with over 70 patients, 40 unallocated to a bed and 28 awaiting admission.
“Our members called the union for assistance last evening with members grappling with significant patient demand and inadequate resources,” Ms Shepherd said.
“When the ANMF attended the ED last night, there was only one resuscitation bay left in the entire department, with many patients in the waiting room needing an urgent bed but no capacity to move them into the actual ED and a bed space.”
Ms Shepherd said the ANMF contacted senior management who were able to free up 6 in-patient beds and arranged for additional medical support to aid in assessment and suitable discharges.
“Unfortunately, this is a regular occurrence for members of the LGH ED and when there is no capacity left in the entire hospital is a very chaotic and stressful environment to be working in and for patients attending the hospital.
“It means constant juggling if a patient deteriorates and constant fear of a serious mass casualty not being able to be accommodated.”
Ms Shepherd said the ANMF has continuously advocated for the Government to support access and flow strategies both within the hospital and in the community to no avail.
“The ANMF has called for 24/7 hospitals with diagnostics supporting this, as well as nurse-led criteria discharge and discharge planners.
“The ANMF has also called for the Government to support a sub-acute facility as well as increasing community nursing, hospital in the home, community mental health, community dementia services statewide and increasing the staffing in district hospitals.
“Instead of these solutions being taken up, the State Government continues to cut corners and has also cut the comprehensive palliative care in aged care service which supported 1400 Tasmanians in aged care with their palliative care needs.
“Palliative care has always been a State responsibility and now the State Government have wiped their hands of it as the Federal Government chose to focus on their responsibility – aged care. Some of those 1400 Tasmanians will now need to visit a state ED, when the State could have funded 3 nurses statewide instead.”
The ANMF will be back in the Tasmanian Industrial Commission tomorrow for a directions hearing regarding the Government’s Transfer of Care policy, to determine if the policy is safe or not.
Ms Shepherd said the ANMF continues to highlight that systemic access, and flow initiatives are the solution.
-End-
Media contact:
Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary
Mobile: 0400 884 021
Email: Emily.Shepherd@anmftas.org.au