There's no doubt the Federal Labor Government's underfunding of primary care continues to increase demand on our emergency departments.
With only two sleeps until Christmas, it's time for the Federal Labor Government to give Tasmania our fair share and provide more Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs) for our regions.
Minister for Health, Jacquie Petrusma, said we've been putting the case to Federal Labor for months that there should be funding for at least four new UCC locations to support Tasmania's needs in growing regional areas across the State.
"The Federal Labor Government has a consistent pattern of cost-shifting their responsibility onto States, and enough is enough," Minister Petrusma said.
"While we recently welcomed the new Bridgewater Medicare UCC to the existing four UCCs in Tasmania, funding for only one additional UCC as part of the Australian Government's $1.2 billion Strengthening Medicare package is inadequate to meet increasing demand in our State.
"This Christmas our Government is calling for at least four additional UCCs across the State to ensure Tasmanians can access the primary healthcare they need, and take pressure off our EDs.
"Unfortunately, Tasmania has been left off the map by the Federal Labor Government with chronic under-investment in our GP services.
"GPs are primarily the responsibility of the Federal Labor Government, but we are doing our part as a State – because we don't want to stand by and let Tasmanians go without access to GPs."
Through our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future, the Tasmanian Government recently launched the GP NOW Rapid Response Team, with five GPs already commenced and five more currently being recruited.
A $100,000 GP settlement incentive package for 40 new GPs is also being delivered, and applications for our new multi-year funding of up to $250,000 per year to support the ongoing viability of outer-urban, regional, and rural Tasmanian GP practices are being assessed right now.
