Mersey model will not deliver for Devonport

The Government’s proposed model for the Mersey Hospital will not deliver the best health care for the Devonport community, according to the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA).

The Minister for Health, Tony Abbott, has suggested that a community-controlled model for the Mersey Hospital will improve health care and deliver better outcomes than the current state government-run system,” Ms Prue Power, executive director, AHHA said.

“However, he has not provided any evidence to support this claim and AHHA is very concerned that the people of Devonport are being misled about the potential to maintain the Mersey as a tertiary care facility.

“The problems with the Mersey are not due to its management by the Tasmanian Government but relate to the insufficient patient numbers to support the quality provision of some services and, to a lesser extent, overall health workforce shortages. Neither of these problems can be solved by the Devonport community and it is unfair of the Federal Government to expect them to do so.

“Increasing community input into health policies and services is very important. AHHA has repeatedly called on the Federal Government to provide an increased role for consumers in the planning and delivery of health care. But this cannot be done in relation to one health service in isolation.”