HUNDREDS of jobs at the Royal Hobart Hospital are at risk, with revelations yesterday exposing plans to slash $40 million from health services in Tasmania’s South.
Unions predict the savage funding cut will axe about 300 jobs from the RHH, and it is feared front-line staff will be among those to go.
Health Department officials told unions yesterday that managers were looking at savings of between $35 million and $40 million from the South’s health budget this financial year.
Health and Community Services Union assistant secretary Tim Jacobson said the “lion’s share” of that money would come from the RHH.
Mr Jacobson said the figure equated to 240 full-time equivalent positions, or about 300 actual jobs.
“This is massive, I have never heard of anything of this magnitude before,” he said.
Mr Jacobson said he expected jobs to go within the next month if savings were to be made this financial year.
Southern Tasmania Area Health Service acting chief Jane Holden said the $35-40 million savings target was outlined during a meeting with unions yesterday, but the exact amount was yet to be finalised.
“The agenda discussed how we would work together in good faith to achieve savings that will result in a more efficient and more cost-effective health service for the people of Tasmania,” Ms Holden said. She said no decision had been made about jobs and HACSU’s predictions were “alarmist”.
“I cannot understand what motive the union may have for making these alarmist and inaccurate claims about jobs,” Ms Holden said.
But Mr Jacobson said such a savage cut inevitably meant job losses, including those on the front line of health service delivery.
“I can’t imagine a scenario where they would be able to protect any job category,” he said.
“I have been in this position for 16 years and I have never seen anything as appalling as this.”
