Ross Hart (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In August last year I said in this place that the failure of the Tasmanian health minister, Michael Ferguson, to provide adequate resources to alleviate bed block within the Launceston General Hospital and to move admitted patients out of a stressed Emergency Department was creating a crisis—a well-documented ramping crisis—for our ambulance service. In February of this year I said that it is a very sad fact that we are currently facing a crisis in the Tasmanian health system.

Eight months have passed since then. The crisis at the Launceston General Hospital has escalated. Yesterday the latest Tasmanian health service annual report was formally released. It cast an ever-worsening shadow on the state of the state's second largest public hospital, the LGH, and its under-resourced emergency department. Of course, I acknowledge that this is a snapshot on an annual basis of the performance of a significant public health resource, a vital resource for people in Northern Tasmania. Less than 65 per cent of emergency department presentations are seen within the recommended time frame—less than 65 per cent! Emergency department staff at the LGH have reported publicly that they've had to contend with huge numbers of presentations to the department, even before the winter flu season, with almost continuous bed block. They've been forced to attend to—of necessity—unstable patients in the waiting room of the emergency department. In one 24-hour period there were up to 60 patients in the emergency department, up to 24 patients waiting for access to inpatient ward beds, up to eight ambulances ramped at one time, and, at one point, up to five category 2 patients in the waiting room. Category 2 patients are those with imminently life-threatening conditions. These patients should be seen by a treating doctor or nurse within 10 minutes of arriving.

I cannot say enough here tonight in this chamber to reflect my respect and admiration for and my thanks to the tireless and overworked staff at the LGH, with their dedication to patient care in such dire circumstances. To highlight the unacceptable pressure and their dedication to patient safety, members of the ANMF have been holding rolling vigils outside the LGH every day for over 100 days as part of their Bring Your Own Bed Campaign. This commenced prior to winter falling in Northern Tasmania. I've attended a number of these vigils. They are held every afternoon at the shift change for the LGH Emergency Department, rain or shine, but they always emphasise patient safety and quality of care. I've heard firsthand of the utter stress, the anxiety and the uncertainty that this untenable situation has caused.

I am concerned and Northern Tasmanians have joined me in expressing their concern that, while patients and staff are suffering, the Tasmanian government sits idle and refuses to fund permanently open beds. Over the last six years the LGH has seen an increase in presentations of over 1,500 annually and a significant increase in patient acuity. An additional 100 resuscitation presentations and 1,106 category 2 presentations have occurred during this time. This means that there are, potentially, an additional 1,200 patients requiring access to inpatient beds. These patients are presenting sicker and with multiple acute conditions. As I said earlier, staff have engaged in industrial action since March this year to highlight the continuous pressures on the ED and, indeed, the entire hospital, as a result of bed block. Their goodwill and their stamina is maintaining this health system within Northern Tasmania.

Their daily vigils show their support for their colleagues and, importantly, their patients, as an increasing sign of desperation to have this dire situation addressed by the state government. The present situation is only enabled by the incredible commitment of this staff to their patients and their amazingly cohesive team. In other words, this hopeless Tasmanian Liberal state government misuses the goodwill and professionalism of dedicated nursing and support staff to achieve safe health outcomes. This cannot be sustainable. There will be a time when even their absolute best at some point will not be enough.

It is not good enough. Northern Tasmanians deserve better. Our nurses, doctors and support staff deserve better—a government and a health minister that care about supplying resources to enable the hospital to function safely and effectively. You cannot rely on the goodwill and dedication of staff going above and beyond their duty.