Tasmanian doctors demand independent inquiry as health system remains in crisis

The Tasmanian branch of the Australian Medical Association is urging an independent commission of inquiry into the state's health system, which it says is in perpetual crisis, while Health Minister Bridget Archer rejects the proposal as costly and duplicative.

The Australian Medical Association’s Tasmanian branch, led by Meg Creely, is pressing for an independent commission of inquiry to address what it describes as a perpetual health-system crisis in Tasmania. Creely highlighted the interlinked nature of issues such as emergency-department blockages, ambulance ramping, and staffing shortages, citing a recent fatality at Royal Hobart Hospital when a family was forced to drive a patient due to no ambulances.

She noted that existing reviews and spending have not resolved the systemic problems, and that a broader inquiry could build on evidence gathered by a Legislative Council committee. Health Minister Bridget Archer dismissed the proposal, saying a commission would cost upwards of $30 million, take years, and repeat work already underway, while the state moves to slash $700 million from the health department through an Operational Efficiencies program.

Additional pressures include worsening waitlists—over 9,500 patients for elective surgery and 78,000 for outpatient appointments—and stagnant ambulance response times despite a 60-minute off-load policy. The minister also blamed federal aged-care placement shortages for hospital bed blockages, while Federal Health Minister Mark Butler pointed to recent funding increases. Hospital officials, including emergency director Byron Booth, echoed concerns about inappropriate ED admissions and the need for systemic reform.