6 years ago
GOVERNMENT BLAMES HODGMAN FOR TASMANIA’S ELECTIVE SURGERY CRISIS
THE HON CATHERINE KING MP
Only days before the Tasmanian state election, the Turnbull Government has issued an astonishing rebuke to the Tasmanian Liberals, with Turnbull’s Rural Health Minister blaming Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman for the elective surgery crisis in the state.
More than one in four Tasmanians waits longer than the clinically time for elective surgery – by far the worst record in the country. These are patients waiting for vital procedures such as knee and hip replacements, cataract surgeries, tonsillectomies and hysterectomies.
During Senate Estimates, Rural Health Minister and Deputy Nationals Leader Bridget McKenzie blamed Will Hodgman for this crisis – twice:
SENATOR KRISTINA KENEALLY: 27 per cent of Tasmanians don’t receive elective surgery within the clinically recommended times. Do you think that’s a result of inadequate Commonwealth funding or mismanagement by the Hodgman Liberal Government?
SENATOR BRIDGET McKENZIE: I think it’s an issue … the waiting lists are an issue for state governments.
KENEALLY: The Hodgman Liberal Government is still presiding over an elective surgery disaster … What is the Government doing about that?
McKENZIE: I have no oversight on that. As we’ve said that’s a matter for the state governments.
This is a stunning admission that Will Hodgman is responsible for the backlog of almost 6,000 Tasmanians who are waiting for critical surgery – with 1 in 10 waiting almost a year.
Turnbull can’t escape the fact that his cuts have contributed to the crisis, with Senate Estimates also revealing that Tasmania could be worse off under Turnbull’s funding formula than Tony Abbott’s 2014 Budget.
In contrast to Turnbull and Hodgman’s cuts and mismanagement, a Shorten Labor Government would invest $30 million to provide an extra 3,000 elective surgeries in Tasmania – equivalent to half of the current waiting list.
Federal Labor’s investment is in addition to Rebecca White’s commitment of $75 million to improve waiting times for outpatient appointments and deliver elective surgery.
Bridget McKenzie’s admission and Labor’s commitments are further proof that only Labor is committed to providing the essential health services that Tasmanians deserve.