Health
A Health Solution to North West Tasmania
The solution the then Prime Minister Hon. John Howard announced on the 4th August 2007, architected by me for the region is a breakthrough and a much needed injection to our currently under funded health services in North West Tasmania
This solution is not just about the Mersey Community Hospital it is about ensuring the long term sustainability of the North West Tasmanian regional health service.
This is new money, which means the funding the State Government currently directs towards the Mersey Community Hospital can now be redirected to the Burnie Hospital.
The assurance that is now provided to both hospitals and which was supported by Kevin Rudd during the election campaign is the level of funding needed to have a strong sustainable health service in North West Tasmania. The Labor Federal government has also guaranteed the $45m will stay in the North of the State, however State Labor strongly disagree.
Let me dispel the some of the media driven myths:
- First and foremost, criticisms by the Labor Federal Government and particular politicians, bureaucratic and those with non-community vested interests in outcomes, have been made without any information base. No request for information has ever made to me by many of the so called critics.
- Whilst this announcement came in an election year, it was neither myself or the then Australian Federal Government who set the timing agenda. It was the actions of the Tasmanian Health Minister in May 2007 which lead to this action occurring in 2007. My office had become a medical referral centre which motivated me to move quickly to obtain a solution for the Mersey Hospital and in turn creating a new source of funding for the region.
- Sid Sidebottom had initially come out against a plan which he has neither contacted me nor conversed with me about. Similarly, for the good of the region we should have worked together on this matter. The problem is that neither his Federal colleagues or the local Labor candidate are willing to go against State Labor no matter how appalling the decisions. To win an election however, they finally agreed to support my plan.
- This plan has been developed with the support of local clinicians, community, leaders and hospital administration locally and interstate. This plan included reviewing research on 100 of the leading community hospitals overseas to determine the key success factors.
- This is not about politics. My personal connection to this issue is that without a closely located ICU in 1998 when I was involved in a serious accident it most likely would have resulted in me not being alive today.
- Before entering politics, as a thank you to the dedicated nurses, doctors and rehabilitation staff of both Launceston and Mersey Hospital, I became the President of the Road Trauma Association of Tasmania and founding member of the National Association. Such an affiliation places me in a very strong position to understand the importance of key services in a hospital and relating at a community level not just with statistics and politics
Why we need the Mersey Hospital?
Tasmania’s North West (Braddon Region in Tasmania) is a growing region of Australia losing critical heath services.
Tasmania’s North West dynamics and demographics differ vastly from the tapestry of most regions.
- Tasmania’s North West —in particular Mersey-Lyall sector is one of the fastest growing areas of Tasmania. Current growth rate is around 5.5% p.a.
- Tasmania’s North West is the “engine room of Tasmania” in Manufacturing Agri Business and Mining.
- The solution is not simply about attending to the 100,000 community members and visitors to the region but rather it is the crucial base for the expansion and economic viability of this region.
When the State Government conducted the review, it was based upon 2001 ABS data and hospital intake modelling.
The Economic growth and development currently underway in the region has not been factored into the health plan.
Since 2006
- Tasmania’s North West has had approved over $400million in new business and residential developments.
- Population has grown continuously by 5.5% p.a. since 2002.
- During 2008-2010 the region will grow by over 3,000 employees and their families into industries such as mining, information technology and agri business.
Health services in Burnie and Launceston will struggle with the increased demand.
An investment need for the region
While it is simple to look at statistics for perceived hospital usage and planning, the key to a successful Health Strategy is to view the Hospital as a key link to growth and the economic development of a region.
Without full medical services a region will degenerate and new investment, business and local growth will not occur.
Health services are the number one consideration for families, businesses and immigration when considering location strategies.
Our mining, IT services, and hospitality industries require a regional sector to have full medical services to attract the location and relocation of staff. This is one of the many important reasons why the Mersey region must maintain their Hospital services.
Loss
The downgrading of the Mersey Community Hospital would impact not only on patient safety but also on economic viability through loss of wages, business income and community services who have relied on the Mersey Hospital as a customer.
The Mersey Region has suffered significantly at the hands of the Tasmanian State Government through their cessation of key services, Government Offices and general funding.
The difficulties of the Burnie location for people at the Eastern end
- No reliable Public Transport to access the Burnie Hospital.
- Major hesitation and reservation over the Ambulance charges and services available between the two ends of the Coast.
- Time frame of 45-50 minutes from the Eastern end to reach a hospital.
- The need to move people in very poor health only to discover no beds in the hospital and so further movement which places many at risk.
- No close access for those in the region without cars to access patients and family members.
How does it work since the Australian Governmment signed off on the 22nd November 2007
- The Australian Government will provide the funding to maintain a ‘fully serviced’ hospital including all pre May 2007 services.
- The funds will be placed in the care of a Community Foundation which will include a mix of local clinicians, community and business people who will direct the future of health services for the Mersey Community Hospital. The Foundation will provide direction to a Quality Professional Management Administration Committee who will ensure viability.
- The Mersey Community Hospital will continue to comply with all Federal and State Government regulations for safety, service delivery and patient care.
- The Foundation will work with the Burnie Hospital Management to ensure a quality level of care, services and co-operation between both campuses.
- The Foundation will meet with the Burnie Hospital to discuss future service delivery. Services that were originally targeted for the Mersey by the Future Health Plan will also be evaluated.
At no time was it ever suggested this plan would not co-operate with the Burnie Hospital or the State Government delivery of Health Services.
The primary element of the Mersey Community Hospital now is that it will provide state of the art health services which will include Accident and Emergency, ICU, Surgery, Maternity and Specialist Services. Additionally, where appropriate, day surgery as evaluated by the Community Foundation will be included.
The difference now is the Mersey Community Hospital will be appropriately funded to deliver the services and the Burnie Hospital can now access the critical funding so as both campuses are supported appropriately.
6. The project plan was developed into three stages:
Stage 1 – Handover and planning – 4th August 2007- 21st November 2007.
Stage 2 – Settlement – 22nd November 2007.
Stage 3 – Ongoing – November 2007 - July 2008.
Stage 1 funding provided to maintain the pre May 2007 services.
During this time planning for the future occurred including budgets, staffing, programs and services.
The guarantee is that all key services will be maintained.
Key initiatives such as medical staffing resources, education, training, innovation and service delivery will have the excellent input of both the Foundation members, UTAS, the Rural Medical School and mainland resources.
The fear campaign that such will not be available is false. It has been researched, evaluated and the network connections have been put in place to assure such critical elements of a successful hospital are in place at the Mersey Community Hospital.
7. All current Doctors, Nurses and Staff are guaranteed their jobs. As the Foundation is a Community Foundation, this was a key concern to ensure the ongoing success of the hospital.
8. One of the major community criticisms of the Rudd Labor Government has been the total lack of commitment to the project.
The staff have been treated appallingly by the State Labor Government throughout, due to lack of consultation, cancellation of jobs and the absurd conclusion made from Hobart that all staff would be happy to work at the Burnie Hospital.
Our meetings with the staff highlighted they did not want to travel such distances on shift work and so were more inclined to sell and move out of the region.
Morally, economically and socially this would be a travesty of the highest caliber for the Mersey Region and North West Tasmania.
9. The North West Tasmanian Health System will not be at the mercy of Bureaucrats from Hobart and politicians that neither know the area or the people. Rather it will be the local community at the Eastern end of the Coast working with the Western end of the Coast to delivering Quality Health Services to all.
10. The local clinicians are now in a position to drive innovation, patient care levels and services without the impact of a bureaucratic decision process that delays such vital services, processes or technological being delivered into a hospital.
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Mersey Takeover Official Transfer to Federal Funded Hospital 22nd Nov. 2007 |
I applauded the new health – community grant announcements on October 8 and 10, 2007, prior to the Election campaign and Guaranteed funding.
Funding of $8 million will be provided over three years for the construction of new purpose-built rehabilitation and transitional care facilities and a new psychiatric unit, at the Burnie Hospital.
At Launceston General Hospital $16 million will be provided over three years for the upgrading of oncology, radiotherapy and transitional care facilities and the establishment of new cardiac care facilities.
A further $8.5 million will be provided over four years for specific patient transport measures. This recognised the difficulty for Tasmanians in dispersed communities with long travelling times in accessing larger hospital and specialist medical services.
This will include support for a pick-up and drop-off shuttle service between the Burnie, Devonport and Launceston General Hospitals and catchment communities along the Bass Highway, the Tamar Valley and the North East.
It will also enable the purchase and ongoing operation of five medically-equipped patient transport vehicles to transport non-ambulatory patients to hospitals and other specialist medical services. These may be based at ambulance stations across the State and contracted to the private sector.
The Australian Liberal Government also announced funding of up to $1 million in 2007-08 for each of the Ouse and Rosebery Hospitals. This funding will be paid to the Central Highlands and West Coast Councils to be held in trust on behalf of the Ouse and Rosebery Communities respectively. This will allow the communities to ensure that the small local hospitals can continue to provide the range of services that were available before the Tasmanian Government announced its rationalisation plan in May 2007. It will sustain them until the full effect of the Mersey funding windfall is available to the Tasmanian Government to meet its health service responsibilities for these communities.
The funding in October 2007 recognised that the revitalised Mersey Community Hospital needs to remain integrated with services provided at the other major public hospitals in the region, Launceston General Hospital and Burnie Hospital. It is a public hospital, just like its companion hospitals, and with them provides services across the North, North-West and Western regions of Tasmania.
These measures for the Burnie and Launceston General Hospitals have been identified as priorities by clinicians and locals governments. They will assist each hospital to improve their own infrastructure as well as complement the Mersey Community Hospital. They added to the Australian Liberal Government announcements of Medicare access for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines at the Launceston General Hospital and for the North-West and West Coasts of Tasmania.
- The patient transport measures not only enhance the networking of the three northern hospitals, but will also benefit patients across the whole State.
- Approximately $1 million towards repair, maintenance and/or replacement of key equipment at the Mersey Hospital which was allowed to be run down by the State Labor Government.
- $48,835 to Devonport Community House to encourage healthy eating through further development and management of the Devonport Community Garden.
- $195,000 to Institute of TAFE Tasmania to provide a collaborative community development strategy to effect cultural change around healthier living such as eating better and becoming more physically active by linking smaller projects under the overall strategy, employing a project manager to run the project under the governance of a steering committee made up of key people from consortium organisations.
- $114,460 to Coastal Family Day Care Scheme to work towards improving the nutritional health and active lifestyle of children and families by communicating nutritional aspects of healthy living and providing the opportunity to increase physical and sporting activities for family day care careers, the children and their families through the project scheme.
“These announcements demonstrated a true holistic approach to supporting our local health services from preventative through to cure.”
“I look forward to the benefits that this total regional approach to health services funded by the Australian Liberal Government in 2007 will provide to the North West Tasmanian Community “.
For further information on the health initiatives please see my website under media releases and speeches
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