St Lukes is calling on the Tasmanian Government to seize the opportunity created by new federal hospital funding and refocus the state’s efforts on preventive health – the only sustainable way to break Tasmania’s cycle of crisis‑driven care.
As the leading Tasmanian not-for-profit health and wellness organisation, St Lukes welcomes the recent National Health Reform Agreement, recognising the pressures facing the state’s public hospitals and frontline services.
However, CEO Paul Lupo said the government had acknowledged that funding alone could not fix Tasmania’s chronic hospital pressures without reducing demand through proven preventive health initiatives.
“The intention behind the government’s 20‑Year Preventive Health Strategy is an important step, but what Tasmanians need now is the investment to ensure it can be delivered on the ground,” he said.
“With new federal funding on the table, the Tasmanian Government has a real chance to rethink its upcoming state budget and boost its own investment in proven preventive health initiatives – and we’re calling on them to take it.
“While we accept the need to improve the state’s budgetary position, the only way to sustainably manage health expenditure over time is to reduce demand on our hospitals. Prevention isn’t optional, it is essential to restoring the financial health of the entire system.
“In the bigger picture, even a significant allocation toward prevention remains only a drop in the ocean in budgetary terms, yet the long‑term return on investment is enormous. It is not about spending more, it’s about spending smarter.”
Mr Lupo said the Federal Government’s recent Productivity Commission, Australian Medical Association and national health experts all agreed Australia must increase investment in preventive health, but even still it remained only a fraction of what was needed.
“The Productivity Commission has gone so far as to urge the federal government to prioritise prevention as the most powerful way to address demand and deliver social and economic return,” he said.
“The Australian Medical Association Tasmania branch – the peak body for doctors in this state – has also acknowledged this funding won’t change the situation on the ground in our public hospitals.
“The Tasmanian Government has all the right intentions and St Lukes stands ready to help drive and achieve its Preventive Health Strategy, but it must be backed with significant funding and genuine resource.
“This recent boost in federal funding offers a reset point and is our chance to shift from throwing money at sickness, to preventing it.”
ENDS
For more information: Jacquie Ray, Timmins Ray Public Relations: 0429 683 779