Media release – Health and Community Services Union, 21 August 2025
Workers strike over government’s planned cuts to RHH Cancer Clinical Trials Unit
HACSU members at the Royal Hobart Hospital’s Cancer Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) walked off the job for 30 minutes today over the government’s plan to cut jobs in the unit by 58%.
The CTU often provides the last option for treatment for Tasmanians with rare and advanced cancers, helping patients access new and experimental treatments through clinical trials and conducting research on a variety of cancer types, including both solid tumours and blood cancers.
“These cuts are not just numbers on a page, they are lives on the line.
These reductions put patient safety at risk and limit access to potentially life-extending treatments,”
said HACSU State Secretary Robbie Moore.
“Every clinical trial not only offers hope for those currently fighting cancer but also builds the foundation for breakthroughs that could save countless lives. Reducing the number of staff in the CTU compromises the future of cancer treatment in Tasmania.
“Protecting these positions is not just a matter of staffing, it is a matter of safeguarding hope, innovation, and support for people facing cancer,” he added.
HACSU is calling on the government to immediately scrap their plan to cut staff and work more collaboratively with the dedicated professionals at the CTU to ensure they can continue their vital research while delivering lifesaving care to Tasmanians.
Media release – The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian Branch, 21 August 2025
ANMF CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO SAVE RHH CLINICAL TRIALS UNIT
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian Branch today with members from the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH), Clinical Trial Unit (CTU) are calling on the State Government to immediately intervene and save the RHH CTU to ensure that cancer trials can continue to develop life-extending and also life-saving treatments.
ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary Emily Shepherd said 11 people in Tasmania are diagnosed with cancer every day, predicted to rise to 15 per day by 2035.
“Now is not the time to be reducing clinical trials, now is the time to be investing in research to stem to tide of the tsunami of cancer diagnoses that will severely impact the Tasmanian population,” Shepherd said.
“While discussion remains ongoing, it is clear that this is a budget savings measure.
“But reducing cancer clinical trials is not the way to repair the budget, it will end up costing the Tasmanian Government more in the long term in terms of the economic impact of broad treatment delivery – and will cost Tasmanians more, some with their lives.”
Shepherd said the RHH CTU has led life-changing clinical trials which have improved the delivery of targeted cancer treatments, not only here in Tasmania but across Australia.
“The survival rates of those Tasmanians diagnosed with cancer rely on targeted therapies that are developed to treat the specific cancer an individual is diagnosed with and without a robust Clinical Trials Unit in Tasmania, Tasmanians and their families will suffer.
“The Tasmanian Health Service have forged ahead with a decision to cut staffing levels and have indicated that they intend to continue with clinical trials but with a dramatically reduced staffing profile.
“This will mean the unit will have insufficient staff to successfully complete clinical trials or that the number of clinical trials will have to be reduced to negligible levels.
“This decision is such a short-sighted one which blatantly shows a complete disregard for the critical and detailed clinical work that running a clinical trial requires.
“Analysing clinical trials on a profit and loss basis is completely misguided and instead should be analysed on a cost benefit basis, which shows the huge benefit both to the cancer patient and economically.”
The ANMF will continue to support members at the RHH CTU as they fight to support their patients, their families and the Tasmanian community to save this critical health service in Tasmania.
The action today has been initiated by Clinical Trials staff, in a unified cross-professional show of solidarity.
“They will be directly impacted by the proposed 58% reduction in staffing,” Shepherd said.
“They are determined to raise public awareness of the consequences for cancer patients, families, staff, and the Tasmanian health system.
“Along with this action today, ANMF members have resolved to escalate the matter to a Step Two Grievance, if not resolved via this process the ANMF will consider lodging the matter with the Tasmanian Industrial Commission.
“We call upon the Government to intervene and stop this irrational knee jerk cost cutting exercise.”
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