Media release – Health and Community Services Union, 29 May 2023
Essential LGH staff stop work in fight to save health jobs
Essential support staff at the Launceston General Hospital will today walk off the job in a cry to save their positions, which will be cut from the health service at the end of next month if the government does not act to make these roles permanent.
Additional hospital aides, ward clerks and environmental service officers have worked at the LGH since 2020 when they were brought in to help manage COVID, but increased demand now means that these roles are essential to the hospital’s everyday operations.
There is no way that workers can be let go from the LGH without affecting service delivery.
“The sacking of these workers will mean nurses and other health professionals have to pick up the slack and take on duties that we should not expect them to perform,” said HACSU Assistant State Secretary Lucas Digney. “It could mean cuts to services across medical and surgical wards.”
“These positions are vital to the operation of the hospital. Just because the pandemic has been declared over does not mean that there’s been any reduction in demand for health services.”
“The Department of Health have asked for additional funding for these positions, but as it stands, these workers will be sacked in just a matter of weeks if the Premier doesn’t step in to stop it happening.”
LGH ward clerk and HACSU delegate Elizabeth Dominy said, “We are increasingly anxious about our jobs… but not just our jobs. We know that if we’re let go, the work that we do every day just won’t get done.”
“Support workers like us are often left out of the conversation about health, but this place cannot run without us. It’s that simple. Nurses will have to consider closing beds if our positions are not retained.”
Media release – Anita Dow MP, Shadow Minister for Health, 29 May 2023
Government must make COVID positions permanent
The Rockliff Government must make permanent the essential hospital positions brought on during the COVID pandemic.
Hospital aides, ward clerks and environmental service officers have played a pivotal role in keeping our community safe, contributing to the recent positive accreditation results at the Launceston General Hospital.
These workers have been a huge support in assisting health workers with their increased workloads and should not lose their job at the end of June.
With winter well and truly on the doorstep, it is the wrong time to be cutting hospital resources.
It is clear that this government has the wrong priorities for the heath of Tasmanians.
The government should be making these positions permanent instead of expecting departments to make $300 million in efficiency dividends to pay for a billion dollar taxpayer-funded stadium.
If the minority Liberal Government hasn’t addressed the health crisis in 10 years, they never will.
Media release – Dr Rosalie Woodruff MP, Greens Health spokesperson, 30 May 2023
Hospitals in Chaos, Rockliff Refuses to Stop Covid Spread
AMA president, Dr John Saul has confirmed Covid is causing chaos is Tasmanian hospitals. Doctors, nurses and paramedics are dropping like flies with Covid infection, unable to do their life-saving work.
When we asked the Premier and alleged Health Minister in Question Time how he could justify giving a “low risk” rating for Covid infection to Tasmanians, and making no changes to help people protect themselves, he resorted to early 2020 advice.
Despite three years of evidence that Covid is an airborne virus, which can damage all organs and have long-term impacts, our Liberal Health Minister’s best advice is to take personal responsibility, follow health advice and wash your hands.
There’s been no visible public health advice to Tasmanians since July last year. When it comes to the highly infectious airborne coronavirus, hand washing is about as useless as the Premier’s hand wringing.
Last week’s national surveillance data show Tasmania had the highest Covid rate in the country. Given there’s no longer a requirement to report cases and accurate PCR testing has been publicly discontinued, the real figure is, of course, far higher.
Today, Jeremy Rockliff diminished even the AMA’s concerns for health workers getting Covid for the third time, risking long-term debilitating health effects. It’s very clear he has been more preoccupied with his unneeded and unwanted billion dollar stadium than his critical health responsibilities.
