Tasmanian Health Service - Expenditure & Budget

Ms ARMITAGE question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT [2.38 p.m.] I too welcome our guests from Samoa. Will the Leader please advise - (1) The total expenditure of the Tasmanian Health Service in the 2018-19 financial year? (2) The total budget for the Tasmanian Health Service in the 2019-20 financial year? (3) If further bed closures are proposed to limit expenditure, could the Leader please explain how this will address the existing problems of ambulance ramping and hospital bed block preventing the movement of patients requiring admission from the Department of Emergency Medicine. ANSWER Mr President, I thank the member for Launceston for her question. (1) The Tasmanian Health Service financial statement for 2018-19 is currently being finalised. The final 2018-19 expenditure will be available in the 2018-19 annual report, which is due to be tabled in parliament on 31 October 2019. (2) The 2019-20 Tasmanian Budget identifies a total $1.613 billion in funding for the Tasmanian Health Service. (3) There are no proposed bed closures to limit expenditure and there are, in fact, significantly more beds open with the Tasmanian Health System now than in 2014.