We have significantly bolstered investment in health since 2014 and a re-elected majority Gutwein Liberal Government will continue to build better health services to secure Tasmania’s future.

Over the next 10 years, we will undertake a major redevelopment of the North-West Regional Hospital to meet future demand.

Premier Peter Gutwein said this significant upgrade of the Burnie hospital is the first in decades.

“We will allocate $60 million for the first stage of the redevelopment, which will comprise of:

- $40 million for the first stage of a new Mental Health Precinct, adjacent to the NWRH, to replace the ageing Spencer Clinic; and - $20 million to provide ward upgrades, with space freed up from the moving of the Spencer Clinic, which will provide additional bed capacity for the NWRH.

“It is expected that this Stage will be completed in 2025,” the Premier said.

Minister for Health Sarah Courtney said while this occurs, $500,000 will be provided for an updated masterplan for the North West Regional Hospital and local health facilities.

“We will consult with the local community, key stakeholders, clinicians and hospital staff and health consumers, on the second stage of the redevelopment,” Minister Courtney said.

“Subject to this consultation, this is expected to include a second stage of the Mental Health precinct, which will include the co-location of community services to provide integrated care.”

It is estimated this will cost a further $40 million and will be considered as part of future Budget processes, once consultation and design are finalised.

Doubling treatment capacity for cancer patients in the North-West

On top of this exciting new redevelopment, we will deliver a second Linear Accelerator at the North-West Regional Hospital to meet demand for cancer patients on the Coast, investing $8.1 million over the next four years to operate and staff.

Premier Peter Gutwein said the North-West Cancer Centre in Burnie was opened in 2016, and it took a Liberal majority Government to fund these critical services for North-West cancer patients.

“Since opening, the Centre has saved thousands of Tasmanians and their families the trip back and forth from Launceston for care,” he said. Minister Courtney said the Australian Government recently provided $4.4 million to purchase a second linear accelerator for the North-West.

“With increasing demand and an estimated 430 new cancer patients requiring radiation therapy or chemotherapy each year on the North-West, a second linear accelerator will effectively double our current capacity,” she said.

“And an estimated 12 full-time equivalent staff will be recruited to operate the new linear accelerator, which is expected to be installed and operational in 2022.”

The North West Cancer Centre was established with significant financial support from the Elphinstone Foundation, which has continued to support the NWRH in recent years with support for a new lung function laboratory, better stroke care and an echocardiogram to improve cardiac care on the coast.

The Tasmanian majority Liberal Government has already delivered more funding, more staff and more health services than any Government before.

We are now investing $9.8 billion on health - $4 billion more than the Labor-Green Government in 2013-14.

We thank the staff at both the North-West Regional Hospital and the Mersey Community Hospital for their hard work and tireless dedication to providing world class care, which will be further supported by this significant investment.

We also recognise the importance of preventative health, mental health, ambulance and rural health, and we will be releasing plans in these areas shortly.

The policy is available here.