Today, the Rockliff Liberal Team is unveiling two additional elements of our exciting new GP Guarantee - Mobile GP clinics; and a new GP specialist service for Children with ADHD.
"We are making record investments across all our major hospitals, employing more emergency staff, and we're effectively banning ramping as part of our 2030 Strong Plan," Premier Jeremy Rockliff said.
"The most important part of our 2030 Strong Plan for health, is our GP Guarantee which is designed to ensure that when you need to see a GP, you'll be able to see a GP.
"Yesterday, I announced three elements of the GP Guarantee:
- A 10-doctor state-employed GP Now Rapid Response Team, available to be deployed at short notice to areas of GP shortage across the state;
- We will pick up the HECs tab up to $100,000 for 40 new GPs, as part of an incentive to attract doctors to work in Tasmania's rural and regional areas for five years;
- Third, we are going to partner with GPs in outer-urban, regional and rural Tasmania to strengthen and sustain their practices, with multi-year funding of up to $250,000 per year.
"Today, I am announcing two exciting additional measures as part of our GP Guarantee.
"First, we will provide funding to operate a fully equipped Mobile GP Practice in and around Hobart.
"The Mobile GP Practice is currently operating under a one-year trial, which a re-elected Rockliff Liberal Government will extend for an additional two years.
"The Mobile GP Practice will provide walk-in, bulk-billed GP services in four-hourly clinics, five days a week on a rotating roster that visits Neighbourhood Houses in New Norfolk, Clarendon Vale, Gagebrook and Chigwell, and the Salvation Army in Glenorchy and Flint House in New Town.
"This will provide an additional 9,000 bulk-billed medical appointments to Tasmanians, and will help to reduce Emergency Department presentations and ambulance call-outs."
The Premier said that subject to further evaluation, a re-elected majority Liberal Government would look to extend the Mobile GP Service state-wide.
Minister for Health, Guy Barnett, said that a re-elected majority Rockliff Liberal Government will also establish a new GP specialist service for Children with ADHD.
"Currently, it is extremely difficult to get specialist diagnosis and treatment for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder," Minister Barnett said.
"We will employ two new General Practitioners with Special Interest in ADHD to work in public out-patient clinics across the State.
"This will boost the services available for all Tasmanian families and children.
"We are also committed to making the necessary regulatory changes to allow GPs with Special Interests in this area to prescribe the appropriate medications, and will commence this process within our first 100 days.
Minister Barnett said that the Liberals' GP Guarantee will ensure we have more GPs to provide help when and where Tasmanians need it.
"We are stepping in where the Federal Labor Government has failed GPs and Tasmanians.
"With our 2030 Strong Plan we are committed to making our health system better, because it really is the most important thing we can do for Tasmanians."
