Ballooning Waitlist For Non-Urgent Surgery In Tasmania

The waitlist for elective surgery in Tasmania is worsening, with more than 10,000 locals held up in the crisis. 

The state government are citing COVID as the prime reason behind the ongoing health situation.

Shadow Health Minister Anita Dow believes it's a disappointing excuse.

"The government's had eight years to address elective surgery waitlist in this state," she said.

In some cases, patients have waited nearly 15 months for their non-urgent surgery to be greenlighted.

Liberal MP Michael Ferguson refuted the opposition's claims about an eight year crisis.

"What we need to do is get the number down, it's clearly too high. It's high because of COVID, no other reason."

It comes after the Liberal Government announced a  $10.7 billion investment into health care, allocating millions towards more beds over the next four years.

A report from February 1 explained that the elective surgery waitlist is lower than what it was 12 months ago.

"Additionally, in 2020-21 and despite the challenges of COVID, 18,192 elective surgeries were delivered state-wide – a 20.7 per cent increase on the level delivered the year before," a Government statement read.

"Notably, the average overdue time for urgent category 1 patients is at the lowest level in two years."

Premier Peter Gutwein has defended claims the current ministry is out of control, after multiple changes to the state's political office in recent months.

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