The Hodgman Liberal Government is making better health care for Tasmanians a high priority.
Unlike previous Governments, we have spoken openly with the public about the many serious problems in the health system – problems that Labor tried to keep secret.
One of these problems is the long-standing issue of double nursing shifts.
Today I can announce that the Royal Hobart Hospital is recruiting an additional 40 Full Time Equivalent permanent nurses to help to tackle this workforce issue.
A review of double shifts at the Royal Hobart Hospital from 2011 to the present, shows that, while double shift levels fluctuate, there have been months where double shifts have exceeded 200, each and every year since 2011. There is no doubt that double shifts add risk, which needs to be managed.
The new 40 FTE will be employed to a permanent pool, and will be allocated to wards on a basis of need. This will help provide cover for staff on sick leave, reducing pressure on casual nursing and on double shifts.
The permanent pool will provide greater flexibility for wards to flex open beds to deal with change in demand, providing greater staff availability. We will look to the success of this initiative at the Royal in how we may address the issue of double shifts in other Tasmanian hospitals.
In line with our election commitment, the Hodgman Liberal Government is also recruiting an additional 15 graduate nurses this year on top of the 115 positions recruited as a minimum each year.
Despite Labor’s continual scaremongering, there has been no reduction of nurses across the DHHS and THS as a result of budget savings.
As we said we would, we have made savings in the backroom so we can invest in frontline health, as we are doing with the addition of 40 nurses at the RHH and an additional 15 positions in this year’s graduate intake.
The graduate positions will be offered across the Tasmanian Health Service, in the three regions North, North West and South and will commence in early 2016.
Michael Ferguson, Minister for Health
