Media release – Guy Barnett, Minister for Health, 18 October 2023
Women’s and Children’s Health Inquiry established
The Tasmanian Government welcomes the inquiry into Women’s and Children’s Health.
The House of Assembly inquiry will look at maternal health services, birth trauma, perinatal mental health services, child health and parenting services, workforce shortages, and reproductive health.
Minister for Health, Guy Barnett, welcomed the inquiry and said healthcare workers right across our health system do an incredible job day in and day out.
“I back our health workforce 100 per cent and thank them for their service, Minister Barnett said.
“The Rockliff Liberal Government is about employing more people, helping more Tasmanians and building better healthcare services to ensure that Tasmanians receive the right care, in the right place and at the right time.
“Our Government is getting on with the job of ensuring that our health services meet the needs of Tasmanian parents, families and children.
“We are committed to ensuring the highest possible standards of patient care and that we continue to identify and pursue opportunities for improvement across the health system.
“We will always listen to views and suggestions of what is needed to keep improving services.”
Media release – Anita Dow MP, Shadow Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing, 18 October 2023
Labor’s inquiry into reproductive, maternal, paediatric and perinatal mental health passes
Labor has taken a big step towards our goal of ensuring Tasmanians, women, parents, babies and children receive better maternal and paediatric care.
Our notice of motion, tabled last month, to establish a Parliamentary Inquiry into Reproductive, Maternal and Paediatric Health and Perinatal Mental Health passed the House of Assembly today.
Over the past 12 months, we have been consulting with and advocating on behalf of families about their experiences in accessing to maternity and child health services across the state.
The Rockliff Government has been slow to act to provide adequate support to families, none more so on the North-West Coast where maternity services were deemed unsafe by the Australian Medical Association earlier this year.
The inquiry will see a committee appointed to report on and assess the adequacy, accessibility and safety of a range of services including reproductive health, maternal health services, perinatal mental health services, paediatric services for children aged under five and the Child Health and Parenting Service.
It will also explore workforce shortages and make recommendations on actions that the state government can take to meet the needs of Tasmanian parents and children.
While the Rockliff minority Liberal government focuses on itself, the real issues facing Tasmanians – continue to go unaddressed.
All Tasmanians deserve to have access to safe and appropriate health services and a Labor government will make this a priority.
I thank my Parliamentary colleagues for supporting this important motion today.
