Improving Access and Patient Flow Across the Tasmanian Health System

The Petition of the undersigned residents of Tasmania draws to the attention of the House:

Tasmania's health system is under significant pressure, with long emergency department waits, delayed elective surgery, and growing difficulties accessing timely care. A major contributor is the number of patients who are medically ready to leave hospital but cannot because appropriate aged care, disability housing, palliative care, rehabilitation, or community-based services are unavailable. Consequently, acute hospital beds remain occupied, reducing capacity and increasing pressure across the system.

Meanwhile, community health services that help people remain safely at home and avoid hospital admission are often unable to meet demand. District hospitals play a vital role in providing care closer to home but face workforce shortages and inadequate resources.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to call on the State Government to:

Provide adequate and sustained funding and take all necessary steps to improve access and patient flow by:

1. Implementing a genuine 24/7 model of care across all public hospitals, with sufficient staffing and diagnostic support services.
2. Ensuring hospitals are safely staffed and resourced to operate all available beds.
3. Expanding community-based services, including community nursing, dementia care, rapid response, acute older persons mental health, and palliative care.
4. Establishing at least 30 sub-acute beds in each region (North, North-West and South).
5. Expanding nurse practitioner-led urgent care clinics, including after-hours services in every region.
6. Implementing any additional measures necessary to improve access, reduce delays, strengthen patient flow, and build a sustainable health system.