Ms BURNET question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
[10.19 a.m.]
I want to also extend my condolences for those people who have died waiting for healthcare. Premier, your government promised a virtual emergency department to provide video‑enabled clinical assessments to reduce pressure and wait-times at our overstretched Emergency Departments (EDs). In September 2025, you told this House the service was being developed to start in 2026. Last year's budget allocated several million dollars. You recommitted to it in your March 2026 state of the state address then in June, your Health minister said implementation was on track for this year. I've spoken to the director of Victoria's Virtual Emergency Department, who has told me that the system is ready to go and it should have started on 15 October, but it still hasn't. Why has the Virtual Emergency Department failed to commence this plan? Why is it preventing rollout? Will you guarantee Tasmanians a commencement date for this urgently needed service?
ANSWER
I thank the honourable member for the question and note your condolences to the circumstances of the grieving family. I extend, on behalf of all of us, my condolences to the family as well. I also want to pay tribute to the very hard work of all our health professionals at the front line, particularly our paramedics who, you would appreciate, work under very arduous and stressful circumstances.
What I can point to in terms of the broader picture is that when it comes to investment in our ambulance services, we've actually doubled the paramedics per capita since 2014, the second highest of any state, as I understand it. And since 2022, there's been a 67 per cent reduction in the number of hours ramped. All these, and the policies around primary health care, places for aged care and also people waiting for an appropriate setting with disability following discharge are all part of the access and flow importance that you speak of. Again, I thank our hard‑working team and staff, who continue to do an amazing job and care for our community, particularly those in our emergency departments and the high-pressure environment that it is.
With respect to your question, our Department of Health is also collaborating with Northern Health and Victorian Department of Health to progress the integration of the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department model into Tasmania's healthcare system. I understand that's the subject you are speaking of. The Virtual Emergency Department is a Victorian government program that supports health professionals, paramedics, nurses and GPs with access to an emergency medicine specialist. The Virtual Emergency Department will provide 24/7 video-enabled emergency clinical assessment for non‑life threatening conditions, as your question pointed to. Work is underway, as I understand it, to formalise the agreements, governance and operational arrangements, with implementation expected this year.
Right now, the contract is with the Victorian government to sign, where it's been for a few weeks, as I understand it. All the work has been done. If my information serves me correctly, we just need a final signature from the health minister, as I understand it, when it comes to this matter.
Supplementary Question
Ms BURNET - I thank the Premier for that answer, but I didn't ask about investment in ambulance services. It was very specific to the Virtual EDs. I know that Tasmanian health professionals are ready to go to work on this. They see it as a priority. Why aren't you picking up the phone to your counterpart in Victoria to make this happen and deliver these services?
Mr ROCKLIFF - I know that our Health minister has been pushing for the contract to be signed. Her advocacy has been, like with everything our Health minister does, outstanding. It is sitting on the health minister's desk for signing. Our Health minister has requested it. I understand our head of the State Service is also engaged when it comes to the signing. We're ready to sign that contract today. In fact, we've been ready for some time. Victoria have advised that they are unlikely to sign this agreement before they enter caretaker. That is disappointing. Officers of the Health minister, I understand, have reached out to the Victorian minister and I sincerely hope they do change their mind and get this signed before caretaker officially so we can move on.