Nearly $4 million in health capital works brought forward

The Hodgman Liberal Government is rebuilding the Tasmanian economy and fixing our broken health system.

Since coming to office we have already seen 7,200 new jobs created and Tasmania’s unemployment rate is now level with the national average.

In this year’s Budget we spent $230 million more on Health and Human Services than in the last Labor-Green budget and we made a record $100m investment in frontline services.

The Budget included a $1.8 billion infrastructure package and today I can confirm $3.76 million, which was originally due to be spent next financial year, will now be brought forward and spent this year on refurbishments including at the Hobart Repatriation hospital, St Mary’s Health Centre, St Johns Park and Beaconsfield Hospital.

Projects include replacing the aging nurse call arrangements at the Hobart Repatriation hospital with a new modern system to provide best practice nurse call support and upgraded duress systems to improve safety for staff and patients. This will improve a range of key patient areas, including the Whittle Ward, the Community Rehabilitation Unit and the Transition Unit.

We take the safety of our nurses and patients very seriously, and this funding injection will bring forward the installation of a security and duress system which will provide staff with the support they need.

At St Johns Park, $400,000 will be spent on disability access upgrades and general refurbishments. We are investing across Tasmania, with $150 000 for a new nursing call system for Beaconsfield Hospital and a new roof, valued at $80 000, will be installed at the St Mary’s Health Centre.

The funding is part of a $22.3 million package for infrastructure projects brought forward to this financial year in order to maintain the momentum in our economy.
Michael Ferguson, Minister for Health