The Hodgman Liberal Government is focused on delivering more health services and better outcomes for patients.
Today I was pleased to launch a new Community Rapid Response Service for the Launceston area. This delivers on our $3 million election commitment to keep people with chronic and complex illness our of hospital by providing them with quality care in the home or community.
The service has now commenced at the Newstead Medical Practice, Summerdale Medical Centre and Launceston Medical Centre and will be rolled out to 33 practices across the Greater Launceston area over the next year in close consultation with GPs and other key stakeholders.
The new service will provide treatment for people who need short-term intermediate care that can be safely delivered in the community or in the home.
It will be available to people with acute illness or injury and to people whose chronic and/or complex condition has deteriorated in a way that would otherwise see them present at an emergency department and possibly admitted to hospital.
The service works on the principle that a patient’s care is shared between their usual GP and community nursing and other health professionals.
Treatment will be provided wherever it best meets the patient’s needs which might be in their home, in a residential aged care facility, or in a community health centre.
This provides better outcomes for patients, including for those with chronic diseases such as cystic fibrosis.
Treating patients in the community in this way will also help free up hospital beds, meaning greater ease of access to medical and surgical services for more patients.
The Launceston pilot will be subject to a thorough evaluation to consider opportunities to provide this model of care outside Launceston.
The new Community Rapid Response Service continues the rebuilding of our health system under the ‘One State, One Health System, Better Outcomes’ reform and is our response to Labor’s shutting down of the Hospital in the Home service at the LGH.
I would like to thank the GP practices and all our partners in the primary care system who have worked to drive this innovative project forward. It is examples like this which show how we can work together to ensure that Tasmanians can get the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
With the Budget back on track the Government is able to invest more into essential services, with a total of $6.4 billion set aside for health over the next four years.
