Mrs Armitage (Launceston) to the Honourable Leader of Government in the Legislative Council, Dr Vanessa Goodwin - Under the Tasmanian and Government Partnership that saw public patient elective surgery performed in private hospitals both in Tasmania and interstate can the Leader advise: 1 The total cost of accommodation and all transport for these surgeries to date under this partnership? 2 (a) The number of patients who suffered complications following these surgeries; and (b) The length of time these patients Answer from Dr Goodwin - 1. The total number of surgeries provided under the Private Panel arrangement was 465, comprising 140 surgeries in Tasmania and 325 in Melbourne. This import
Mrs Armitage (Launceston) to the Honourable Leader of Government, Dr Vanessa Goodwin - 1. To the question I asked last week with regard to gastroenterology in our hospital system whether referring doctors have been informed that their patients have not been seen within the clinically recommended time the answer provided was that the referring doctor is informed of the clinically recommended time for the procedure to be performed. My question that remains unanswered is whether referring doctors, including doctors not working within the hospital system, are advised that their patients have not been seen within the clinically recommended time and are over boundary, in many cases over double t
Mrs Armitage (Launceston) to the Honourable Leader of Government in the Legislative Council, Dr Vanessa Goodwin - 1. Can the Leader please advise what the THS is doing to address the current gastroenterology crisis in our State public hospitals - considering there are currently 2600 scopes wait fisted at the Launceston General Hospital with 80% being Category I, as well as a severe backlog at the Royal Hobart Hospital. 2. Can the Leader further advise where the investment of $500,000 as advised on 12 October 2016 by Minister Ferguson, will be utilised to improve this situation. 3. While it is noted the Royal Hobart Hospital is recruiting an additional gastroenterologist plus a new gastroente
Mrs Armitage (Launceston) to the Honourable Leader of Government, Dr Vanessa Goodwin - Can the Leader please advise whether the IT backup and recovery plan provides for, in the event of a major failure, the operation of a backup data centre, with applications and data restored to that backup data centre, and if so, what anticipated timeframes apply to any workaround to ensure the operation of services, in the event that IT systems are unavailable for that period. Answer from Dr Goodwin - The Department of Health and Human Services (the Department) currently runs two major datacentres, one located in the Police Support Services Building and the other at Gormanston Road, Moonah. Both of these
Mrs Armitage (Launceston) - Mr President, the member for Apsley has asked some of the questions I was going to ask. I support the bill. It is a good bill. It is tidying up a few anomalies with regard to things like advertising and changes we need to catch up with, like technology. The fact is, people do a lot of electronic advertising now. It is important with regard to the issue mentioned by the member for Apsley, with people putting their house up for sale and then selling it to someone who has been brought though by a previous agent. I should declare that I had an interest in the past, I do not anymore. Ms Rattray - You were a real estate agent, of course. Mrs Armitage - I have been
Mrs Armitage (Launceston) to the Honourable Leader of Government in the Legislative Council, Dr Vanessa Goodwin - On the 27th October 2016, I was advised that the Emergency Medicine Accreditation for the Launceston General Hospital was due on the 4th November 2016. Can the Leader please advise the current status of this accreditation, i.e. whether it has been re-accredited and for how long? Answer from Dr Goodwin - The Launceston General Hospital is currently accredited by the Australian College of Emergency Medicine. A periodic review by the College was conducted on 4 November 2016. A report on the outcome of that review is awaited by the Tasmanian Health Service.
Mrs Armitage (Launceston) - Mr President, in five days, on 20 November, Sally's Ride will be held leaving from Royal Park in my electorate of Launceston. Sally's Ride is named after Sally Fletcher. Sally did the first Sally's Ride in 2002, by riding solo around Tasmania to raise important funds for the prevention of youth suicide in Tasmania. All entry fees from Sally's Ride are donated to initiatives which support this cause. Sally has raised more than $250 000 and the Rotary Club of Central Launceston has raised $150 000 for this cause through Sally's Ride. The background to how Sally Fletcher created this event is important in understanding why she is so passionate about preventing you
Mrs Armitage (Launceston) - Mr President, I appreciate the Government's commitment to ensure community interest is paramount. I do not have any concerns there. The Leader says: 'This Government has previously made it very clear that its policy position was that the location of electronic gaming machines in new venues would be subject to a community interest test to be applied by the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission.' It also states in a dot point on page 5: 'introduce the community interest test to take effect upon proclamation of the Amendment Act (expected in early 2017). Proclamation will occur following a public consultation process to determine the relevant community interest m
Mrs Armitage (Launceston) to the Honourable Leader of Government in the Legislative Council, Dr Vanessa Goodwin - 1. Can the Leader please advise with regard to IT resilience in our hospital system under the THS, for example at the Launceston General Hospital, whether there is an IT backup and recovery plan that is funded, implemented and tested. A simple yes or no answer is requested. 2. If the answer to (a) is no, when will this important IT backup and recovery plan be funded and put in place owing to the serious complications that could occur should IT currently fail. Answer from Dr Goodwin - 1. The Department of Health and Human Services manages this area of operations and has a funded a
Mrs Armitage (Launceston) to the Honourable Leader of Government in the Legislative Council, Dr Vanessa Goodwin - 1. With regard to an answer previously provided that on the endoscopy waitlist for the Tasmanian Health Service as at 17 October 2016 that 1471 Category 1 patients were over boundary with a median wait time of 70 days, that is Category 1 - patients who should be seen within 30 days, can the Leader please advise whether referring doctors have been informed that their patients have not been seen within the 30 days and are over boundary. If not, why not? 2. Have General Practitioners and other referring doctors been advised of the over boundary situation within this health area to a
Mrs Armitage (Launceston) - Mr President, like the honourable member for Mersey, I support this bill, but I have concerns about taking one tool out of the toolbox. While I accept the Government made an election promise to remove suspended sentences, I find it strange to be removing something that has worked in some part. It is similar to having a toolbox and taking one out simply because you promised you would, even though it might serve a purpose. I agree the community often expresses concern when they see sentences, and many times they think a sentence is much weaker than it should be. We do not know all the facts when we see that either. I am sure the President made comment on occasio
Mrs Armitage (Launceston) - Mr President, today I speak about autism and the work of Autism Tasmania in Launceston. Autism is neurological condition which is sometimes described as a different way of thinking. The autism spectrum is very broad. Some people are only very mildly affected while others can be severely autistic. No two people with autism will have the same challenges or abilities. While the jury is still out on what causes autism and why we are seeing so many more cases of it, especially in boys, we know some things for sure. Those people within the spectrum process information differently from people referred to as neurotypical. This can result in feelings of confusion and
Mrs Armitage (Launceston) to the Leader of Government in the Legislative Council, the Honourable Dr Vanessa Goodwin - On 15 August 2016 the Treasurer stated that the 2015-2016 Preliminary Outcomes Report showed that the Budget was back on track and was expected to be in the black for 2015- 2016 with an estimated surplus of over $60 million. In view of this prediction will the Government:- (1) Consider reinstating the First Home Buyers grant to remove the discrepancy between those first home buyers able to buy a new home who will receive a grant, and those first home owners who can afford to buy an existing home but are currently not eligible for a grant? (2) Consider stamp duty exemption or