Labor’s secret waiting lists have been publicly revealed for the first time, showing a further 25,692 Tasmanians waiting for access to our hospital system.
This is the hidden waiting list data that the Liberals promised to unveil.
In releasing the latest quarterly DHHS Progress Report for the period ended December 2013, the Minister for Health, Michael Ferguson, reiterated the importance for Tasmanians and GPs to have access to accurate, honest information.
The previous Minister, Michelle O’Byrne, knew the true wait for access to our hospitals was far worse than the official published quarterly data.
But she deliberately kept this information from Tasmanians.
The official DHHS Progress Report shows 7468 people are waiting for elective surgery.
However, the previously secret information released today shows that more than triple the number of those on the official elective surgery waiting list are languishing on hidden waiting lists, with an average wait, to date, of 371 days.
Some of those should have been seen urgently, they are in Category 1, and on average have been waiting for 289 days.
One patient at the Royal Hobart Hospital has waited 2363 days – more than six years, for an appointment.
We went to the election with a clear commitment to ensure transparent, measurable outcomes in all areas of health.
We will now work with our hospitals and the Department of Health and Human Services on a new reporting regime that reflects our new approach.
And in line with our promises, we will work closely with clinicians and hospitals to improve management of outpatient clinics and wait lists, to improve access for Tasmanians.
Click here for details of the secret waiting list.
The DHHS Progress Report, ending December 2013 is available on the Department’s website at www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/about_the_department/performance
