Tasmania’s new unified health system, the Tasmanian Health Service, took a significant step forward yesterday with the commencement of its new Chief Executive Officer, Dr David Alcorn.
Dr Alcorn starts at an exciting time, with the Tasmanian Government investing a record amount in our health system and implementing important reforms designed to provide safer and sustainable statewide health services.
With the economy growing and the Budget coming back under control, we can now invest the dividends of this into the core business of government, such as health.
Just at the weekend, I announced more Tasmanians will get their elective surgery sooner as a result of the opening of three new theatres at the Launceston General and Royal Hobart Hospitals. Two theatres at the LGH and one at the RHH have opened this week.
The new theatres will increase capacity across the public system in the second half of this financial year. It’s expected that more than 1250 additional elective surgical cases will be completed with the opening of the operating theatres. The Mersey 23 hour surgical service will be fully implemented in July this year.
Dr Alcorn, who is based at the THS headquarters in Launceston, previously was Executive Director of the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He brings a wealth of experience to the THS.
I would like to once again thank our fantastic medical professionals, nurses, allied health staff and all health staff for their continuing dedication to putting patients first, a focus which under our reforms will be matched by the system itself.
I wish Dr Alcorn and the THS every success.
On behalf of the Government I wish to thank the Acting CEO Dr Anne Brand on behalf of the Government for her dedication and hard work over recent months overseeing the merger of the three regional bodies.
