00:02It might not look like much yet, but if all goes to plan, the Royal Hobart Hospital's
00:08emergency department should eventually look like this – a $130 million spend that will
00:14add more treatment spaces and a dedicated paediatric floor.
00:18It'll be really exciting for them that they don't have to wait in the waiting room with
00:22the general public and that they get a space that really fits the needs of the paediatric
00:26and that stimulation that paediatrics might have as well.
00:29But some decisions, including spreading the ED across three floors, have raised eyebrows.
00:35This new development, while it's welcomed, does not have the extra capacity that we need.
00:40The best model would be to have all the ED services on the same level.
00:45The Health Minister says the design has been carefully considered.
00:49Having those dedicated spaces that are, I guess, logical in terms of having paediatrics sitting
00:55separately, as well as those other spaces, regard has been given to that in terms of its
01:01clinical purposes as well.
01:03Labor was also focused on health today, flagging figures that show more than 97,000 Tasmanians
01:10are currently on wait lists for medical treatment – a jump, it says, of 10% on last year.
01:16This number just continues to grow.
01:18This is now one in six Tasmanians waiting for some kind of medical treatment.
01:22And they're waiting much longer than we've ever seen people waiting before as well.
01:26Obviously we've undertaken extensive work in recent years in both outpatient appointment
01:32lists and also elective surgeries.
01:34countries.
