Ms BURNET question to MINISTER for HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH and WELLBEING, Ms ARCHER
[10.21 a.m.]
The fact that the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has taken the extraordinary step of calling for a commission of inquiry into Tasmania's health system speaks to the depth of its frustration with the state of our health system and its concerns about the way it is being managed. How can you simply dismiss such a call as though there is nothing seriously wrong and everything is under control when the AMA is telling you that the problems are so significant they warrant the most serious and comprehensive of inquiries?
ANSWER
Speaker, I thank the member for her question. First of all, I have not been dismissive of the calls from the AMA. I've engaged very constructively with the AMA, as I always have and will continue to. I've already spoken at length with them about this issue. I have a further regular meeting with them next week and look forward to discussing this further. I appreciate the commitment of the AMA and its members to improving the health outcomes of Tasmanians. As I said last night, we share the ambition of delivering a stronger, more sustainable health system, and we acknowledge the dedication of all of our healthcare workers who continue to care for Tasmanians.
I do not believe that a commission of inquiry is in the best interests of Tasmanians seeking health care. It would be costly, it would be years long and it would not help a single Tasmanian patient get the care that they need when they need it. It would also replicate the work of past and current inquiries, including one currently underway through the Legislative Council. Since coming to government, we have delivered record investment into Tasmania's health system. Health spending has increased from $5.8 billion in 2014 to $15 billion today, an increase of 159 per cent, which is massively above inflation over the same period; and it accounts for 35 per cent of the entire state budget. We've grown the workforce significantly with more nurses, doctors, paramedics and allied health professionals. We've also extended hospital capacity with more beds and statewide infrastructure upgrades to ensure that Tasmanians can access the care that they need.
But we do acknowledge that, alongside our investment, demand for health services has grown right across the health system. As I said to the Leader of the Opposition in response to my previous question, this persistent issue of long-stay older patients, for example, in our hospital system is creating a particular challenge in relation to access and flow through the hospital system. Some of these challenges are well known and they are not unique to Tasmania. They have been identified through numerous reviews, reports, audits, parliamentary investigations over many years. Indeed, the AMA itself said recently that Tasmania had had enough reviews. It recognises that patients aren't served by inquiries; they're served by additional frontline staff, more hospital and healthcare services capacity, better technology and improved access to care, which is all of the things that we are currently doing and currently investing in. A commission of inquiry would simply take years, it would cost well in excess of $30 million, and it would have no guarantee that it would identify solutions that are not already known. In particular, I take issue with their proposal -
The SPEAKER - The honourable minister's time has expired.
Supplementary Question
Ms BURNET - Thank you for that answer, but what I heard was a dismissal of even the concept again. We've had various examples this morning; the system is broken. Why will you not consider talking with the AMA some more to see what their concerns are?
Mrs ARCHER - As I said, I'm not in any way dismissive of the AMA. I meet regularly with them -
Ms Burnet - Of the idea of the inquiry.
Mrs ARCHER - I've spoken extensively with them already in relation to their proposal. I will continue those conversations with them about where the common ground is that we can acknowledge. One of those critical issues that I do take issue with is the fact that they want to confine their inquiry to the Tasmanian health system without giving regard to all of the interfaces that sit around that, whether that's primary care or Commonwealth interactions more generally, this issue of long‑stay older patients, for example, aged care. They're not seeking to look at any of those things. We know what some of those answers are. We have plans to address them. We need to get on and do that.