HACSU IS GRAVELY CONCERNED AT THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT CHANGES
TO PUBLIC HOLIDAY OPERATIONS AT THE LAUNCESTON GENERAL HOSPITAL WILL
ROLL OUT OVER THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD, IMPACTING FRONT-LINE SERVICE
DELIVERY AT THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT DURING ONE ITS BUSIEST TIMES OF
THE YEAR.

The Tasmanian Health Service (THS) has proposed that a key support service which underpins the
Emergency Department’s access to medical records will cease on all public holidays commencing
this Christmas, with the extra work to be completed by Emergency Department staff who will
already be facing huge increases in demand for their services over this period.

THS’s insistence that this change, which Emergency Department staff have reported will result in
longer queues and further delays in emergency services, is to be implemented during this period
and with no additional staffing or assessment of potential risks is unwise and unnecessary.

Staff have expressed particular concern about the potential for frontline staff to be physically
absent from the Emergency Department for extended periods of time as a result of this change
and that inappropriate staffing will exacerbate service delivery problems. Increased delays in the
past have resulted in aggression towards staff and other patients, increasingly the likelihood that
under-pressure staff will make avoidable mistakes.

Emergency Department staff are concerned not only that the impact of the change will be
exacerbated by the poor timing of the roll out but that the proposal will soon see all public
holidays and weekend services impacted going forward as the workers that underpin the
Emergency Department’s operations are withdrawn with no further staffing allocated for these
times.

THS has advised that it will increasingly rely on digital solutions to lessen the impact of the change
and yet has failed to recognise the fact that the Launceston General Hospital is still, in
comparison to other Tasmanian hospitals, heavily reliant on staff to physically support its
functions.

Concerningly, staff have also reported that the change could see other important work impacted,
including flow-on delays in the registering and processing of births in the hospital. HACSU calls on
the Government to stop the proposed Christmas roll out and undertake a proper risk assessment
to ensure the smooth operation of Emergency services this holiday period.
HACSU ASSISTANT STATE SECRETARY, ROBBIE MOORE