The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, will ask a question of Tanya Plibersek, the Federal Minister for Health, regarding funding for the psychiatric emergency nurses (PEN) program at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
Mr Wilkie had received an assurance from Ms Plibersek that funding for the PEN program would be extended for three years. But recent equivocation from the Tasmanian Government has cast doubt on this.
Mr Wilkie said that Royal Hobart Hospital emergency patients, and the nurses themselves, deserved certainty about the future of this important program.
“Many patients present at the RHH emergency department with mental illness and having specially trained psychiatric nurses on hand is crucial to delivering appropriate care.”
Andrew Wilkie question to the Health Minister 25 Jun 13
Speaker my question is to the Health Minister.
Minister on 3 June you wrote to the Tasmanian Health Minister and offered to reallocate funding to continue for three years the psychiatric emergency nurses program at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
But three weeks later and doubt remains about the program continuing for anywhere near that long.
Minister, what’s going on with the Tasmanian Government and what assurance can you give that the PEN program is safe?
WATCH ONLINE: http://www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Events/Watch_Parliament
Andrew Wilkie MP, Independent Member for Denison
