Shocking new health data has further demonstrated that Tasmania’s health system can’t afford more Liberal cuts.

In the past year nearly 100 Tasmanians waited so long for elective surgery they ended up needing emergency operations instead.

Clearly Tasmanians are waiting too long for healthcare and are getting sicker in the process. Waiting lists are all at near-record levels, and surgeries are 200 days overdue on average.

The data also shows how this is putting extra pressure on emergency departments, where more than half of all patients aren’t receiving treatment within four hours, and on our ambulances, which now have among the longest response times on record.

The Liberals and their JLN coalition partners have no new ideas to improve Tasmania’s health system – and now they’re refusing to rule out health cuts in the upcoming budget.

Last budget the Liberals announced a $300 million efficiency dividend and we still don’t know how much of those cuts will be delivered across the health system.

With a health system that’s already sicker than ever, the last thing Tasmanian patients need is more budget cuts.

Ella Haddad MP
Shadow Minister for Health