Doctors back Parliamentary Inquiry into hospital beds crisis

• AMA calls for inquiry as government dismisses crisis out of hand
• Independent inquiry only way to establish how crisis point was reached
The Tasmanian branch of the Australian Medical Association has backed the need for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the state’s hospital beds crisis, specifically to examine how the situation has been allowed to deteriorate to such an extent.
Labor Leader Rebecca White said since the concerns of frontline health staff had been ignored for more than a year by Health Minister Michael Ferguson, the government now needed to listen to the AMA Tasmania President Dr Stuart Day who today said:
“It’s time for an independent inquiry to examine how this situation has been allowed to develop and deteriorate, despite repeated warnings from frontline staff.”
In addition, Royal Hobart Hospital Medical Staff Association Chairman Dr Frank Nicklason, said:
“An independent inquiry is definitely needed to get to the bottom of how and why we have an RHH bed crisis and to consider how we can improve the current situation.”
“Mr Ferguson can no longer simply ignore the situation particularly at the Royal Hobart Hospital where staff have been warning of the crisis we are now in for up to 18 months,” Ms White said.
“An inquiry could look at how Minister Ferguson allowed the beds situation at the RHH to descend into a crisis and how Emergency Department staff will be able to cope as we head toward winter.
“The Health Minister has done a great disservice to both staff and patients by earlier this week denying there is a beds crisis – a Parliamentary Inquiry is the only way we will get to the bottom of how we reached this point and hear the genuine concerns of frontline staff.”
Rebecca White MP Labor Leader