Michelle Paine, Mercury
THE State Government has been accused of breaking a key election promise after telling Royal Hobart Hospital staff to slash budgets by millions of dollars. Shocked doctors and nurses were told at a packed meeting they would have to cut the hospital’s $228 million budget by 5 per cent. It comes after the Government promised an extra 450 more doctors, nurses and allied staff for the Royal as part of a $135 million, four-year package announced during the election campaign this year. Doctors fear the cuts will come at the expense of elective surgery and force the hospital to choose between specialists it intended to hire. They say the cutbacks will affect morale at the crisis-hit hospital.
What the Libs reckon …
Media Release
Shadow Health Minister
SUE NAPIER, MHA
Wednesday July 26, 2007
Royal Hobart Hospital alarm
The State Government must immediately address claims that operating budgets at the Royal Hobart Hospital have been cut and funds frozen.
Shadow Health Minister, Sue Napier, said information provided to the Liberal Party includes:
· the Royal cannot recruit the 25 new positions promised for the neonatal and new childrens’ intensive care unit because funds have been frozen;
· funds have also been frozen for recruiting operating theatre staff;
· funding for new equipment has also been frozen, despite a $25 million election promise by Labor; and
· there have been cuts to hospital operating budgets in the order of 5 p.c.
Mrs Napier said the allegations, if true, were alarming and made a mockery of the Lennon Government’s election promises in health.
“Tasmanians have had enough of the Royal Hobart Hospital lurching from one crisis to another because of government mismanagement,” Mrs Napier said.
“They want the problems fixed and the staff of the Royal Hobart Hospital given the support and resources they need to get on with the job of looking after the health of Tasmanians.
“Labor made many big-spending promises at the election and more recently during Budget Estimates that provided hope this would occur.
“It would be unacceptable if, just a few months after the election, another election promise was either broken or can’t be fulfilled.”
Labor’s election commitments included $121 million to employ 450 more doctors and nurses at the Royal, and a $25 million hospitals equipment fund.
“Health Minister, Ms Giddings, must reveal exactly what the net increase in nurses and doctors at the RHH over the last 12 months is, and what the net increase will be this financial year.
“It’s not just the number of new staff, but whether resignations and reductions in hours are replaced. How can there be claims of budget cuts and frozen funds if Labor is honouring its commitments?”
Mrs Napier also urged Ms Giddings to establish hospital boards for its acute hospitals to control issues such as budgets and recruitment, and take them out of the hands of the health bureaucracy, which continues to attract significant criticism from health professionals on the ground, despite promised reforms.
