Our Healthcare Future
- Our Healthcare Future will build a sustainable health system by connecting and rebalancing care across acute, subacute, rehabilitation, mental health and primary health to care in the community.
- This is stage two of the Tasmanian Government’s long-term reform agenda to consult, design and build a highly integrated and sustainable health service.
- For further information, or to stay informed about the consultation and reform process, email: ourhealthcarefuture@health.tas.gov.au.
Download Our Healthcare Future: Progress Summary Reports:
- Progress Summary Report - April 2022
- Progress Summary Report - January 2022
- Progress Summary Report - October 2021
- Progress Summary Report - July 2021
Immediate actions
- We are implementing a suite of immediate actions as part of the development and implementation of this new long-term plan for healthcare in Tasmania.
- We are committed to providing regular public updates on progress on a quarterly basis.
Improvement Area 1 – Better Community Care
Reform Initiative 1: Increase and better target our investment to the right care, place and time to maximise benefits to patients.
- Finalise implementation and evaluate the Southern Hospital in the Home Trial.
- Consult stakeholders on the Urgent Care Centre (UCC) Feasibility Study findings and finalise future delivery models.
- Develop and implement a service that provides GPs and other primary care health professionals with rapid access to staff specialists in the North and North West to provide care to people with chronic and complex healthcare needs, particularly during early acute exacerbations of chronic conditions.
- Building on Tasmania's response to COVID-19 which included significant focus on telehealth, develop and implement a Telehealth Strategy for Tasmania that provides high quality patient care and integrates service delivery across acute, subacute, primary and community care.
Improvement Area 2 – Modernising Tasmania’s Health System
Reform Initiative 2: Invest in modern ICT infrastructure to digitally transform our hospitals, improve patient information outcomes and better manage our workforce.
- Procure and implement a new Human Resources Information System (HRIS) to replace payroll, rostering, workplace health and safety, conduct and leave management.
- Develop a Health ICT Plan 2020 - 2030 encompassing electronic medical records, a new patient information system, electronic tools for managing care for patients in appropriate settings, and the new Human Resource Information System.
- Partner with Primary Health Tasmania to improve patient care, enhancing the interface between specialist and primary healthcare through:
- implementation of a single eReferral system between primary care and the Tasmanian Health Service
- scoping the requirements to implement a secure web-based application to enable GPs to view key information about patients in the care held by the Tasmanian Health Service
- a continued partnership-based focus on the development and implementation of jointly agreed clinician led Tasmanian health pathways.
Improvement Area 3 – Planning for the Future
Reform Initiative 3a: Develop a long-term health infrastructure strategy for Tasmania.
- Develop a 20-year Tasmanian health infrastructure strategy to ensure our health facilities enable us to deliver the right care, in the right place and at the right time to improve access to quality healthcare and help manage demand for acute hospital services.
- This will be informed by the masterplans for each of the major hospitals and include District Hospitals, community health centres, ambulance services and mental health infrastructure.
Reform Initiative 3b: Build a strong health professional workforce, aligned to a highly integrated health service, to meet the needs of Tasmanians.
- Release Health Workforce 2040 for consultation.
- Provide an opportunity for health professionals, health services, educational institutions and future health professionals to review and provide further input into the draft Health Workforce 2040 strategy. This will inform the final Focus Areas and Actions in the strategy.
- Partner with the University of Tasmania to better help support the recruitment of targeted specialists in regional areas through conjoint appointments, with a focus on the North West.
- Engage with the University of Tasmania to explore the alignment of future course offerings to future identified gaps in the workforce.
Reform Initiative 3c: Strengthen the clinical and consumer voice in health service planning.
- Establish a State-wide Clinical Senate to provide expert advice to the Secretary, Department of Health and Ministers on health service planning. The purpose, role and function of the Clinical Senate will be co-designed with key stakeholders.
- Establish a Future Health Leaders Forum to support and develop emerging health leaders.
Fact sheets and additional resources
- Download the Southern Hospital in the Home Trial Fact Sheet
- Download the Rapid Access to Specialists in the Community - North and North West
- Download the PwC Urgent Care Centres Feasibility Assessment Final Report 2019
- Visit our What is Telehealth website
Stage 1 reforms – One State, One Health System, Better Outcomes
In 2015, One State, One Health System, Better Outcomes (Stage One) reforms took the vital first step of designing and implementing a single, state-wide service. The focus was on the four major hospitals and clearly defining their roles within the health system.
- Over $1 billion dollars has been committed to health system infrastructure, and over $550 million to additional staffing and operational costs across our health system.
- The reforms were developed through an extensive community consultation process.
- In 2019, the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) Access Solutions Action Plan and the Patient’s First Hospital Actions focused on issues impacting access and patient flow within the major hospitals.
- Stage One reforms are continuing in complement with One Healthcare Future (Stage Two) reforms.
Strategic documents and consultation papers
The following strategic documents and consultation papers are available to download:
- Patient’s First Hospital Actions (2019)
- RHH Access Solutions Action Plan (2019)
- RHH Access Solutions Occasional Papers (2019)
- White Paper (2015)
- Exposure Draft White Paper (2015)
- Tasmanian Role Delineation Framework (2015)
- Tasmanian Clinical Services Profile Implementation Paper (2015)
- Green Paper: Delivering Safe and Sustainable Clinical Services (2014)
- Green Paper Supplement 1 - Sustainability (2014)
- Green Paper Supplement 2 - Workforce (2014)
- Green Paper Supplement 3 - Community Care (2014)
- Green Paper Supplement 4 - Emergency Care (2014)
- Green Paper Supplement 5 - Elective Surgery (2014)
- Green Paper Issues Paper: Rebuilding Tasmania’s Health System (2014)
Stage 2 reforms – Our Healthcare Future
Our Healthcare Future (Stage 2) reforms will build a sustainable health system by connecting and rebalancing care across our acute, subacute, rehabilitation, mental health and primary health sectors, through to care in the community. Immediate actions being implemented in Tasmania include:
- an initiative in the North and North West to provide GPs and other primary healthcare professionals with rapid access to medical specialists to help provide care for people with chronic conditions
- consulting with stakeholders on the Urgent Care Centre (UCC) Feasibility Study findings and finalising future delivery models
- finalising implementation and evaluation of the Southern Hospital in the Home Trial
- a Telehealth Strategy to provide high quality, integrated patient care across Tasmania
- a Health ICT Plan 2020 – 2030 to support future investment in the Digital Health Transformation Program
- developing a 20-year Tasmanian health infrastructure strategy
- releasing Health Workforce 2040 for consultation
- establishing a State-wide Clinical Senate to provide expert advice to the Secretary, Department of Health and Minister on health service planning.
Tasmania’s unique social and demographic factors, including an ageing population and high number of people living with co-morbid health conditions, are a major cause behind increasing healthcare demands.
- We also have people being cared for in hospital because the Tasmanian health system does not have enough subacute, primary, community and home-based services.
- Care in the wrong place isn’t best for people and comes at a high cost.
- Around $100 million is spent each year on care delivered in hospital that could have been delivered at a lower cost in the community.
The sustainability of our hospitals and the health of our community will be underpinned by better primary and community care.
- Where appropriate and safe to do so, this will include alternatives to hospital care that are delivered in the community, closer to home.
- Consequently, the Stage Two reforms will take the important next step of focusing on the delivery of better care in the community, as part of a balanced and sustainable health system – right care, in the right place, at the right time.
Consultation paper and emerging themes
The release of the Our Healthcare Future Immediate Actions and Consultation Paper in late 2020 marked the start of the Stage Two reforms. The Consultation Paper highlighted key issues impacting healthcare in Tasmania now and in the future, and proposed three key improvement areas, including immediate actions the Tasmanian Government is taking now, and consultation questions to guide future planning:
- Better Community Care
- Modernising Tasmania’s Health System
- Planning for the Future
The Department would like to thank all the organisations and individuals who prepared submissions in response to the Consultation Paper.
Analysis of submissions – emerging themes
Submissions were received from a broad cross section of the community, including consumers, clinicians, professional groups, service providers, advocacy groups, policy experts and academics. The submissions are available to access at the link below.
The Department has completed an analysis outlining the key themes to emerge from the submissions, finding:
- wide support from respondents for the overarching themes of the reforms proposed
- strong support for patients to be treated in the community setting where possible and appropriate, and for greater emphasis on preventative health
- an acknowledged need for digital transformation, long-term infrastructure and workforce planning to improve access to services and support new models of care.
The submissions noted the importance of health professionals and consumers being involved in health planning and supported the creation of a State-wide Clinical Senate and other consumer and clinical engagement strategies to assist in providing this advice.
- Further themes to emerge against each key improvement area are set out in detail in the Emerging Themes report.
- The report also maps the key themes from the submissions against improvement activities that the Tasmanian Government has planned or underway, to identify opportunities for further reform under Our Healthcare Future.
Where to get more information
Download the following resources:
- Immediate Actions and Consultation Paper
- Submissions Received in Response to the Consultation
- Emerging Themes (Full Version)
- Emerging Themes (Summary Version)
Our Healthcare Future – next steps
- The next step is to co-design a new long-term plan for healthcare in Tasmania that outlines a vision and a policy for a sustainable high quality health system.
- The plan will point the way towards a more sustainable health system for the future, focused on achieving better outcomes for consumers, their families and carers now and in the future.
- It will also build on and bring together the significant pieces of work already done.
The Plan
The long-term plan will be developed over a series of stages, which will include the development of:
- Our Healthcare Future: Advancing Tasmania’s Health to provide a shared vision and policy direction for a sustainable health system.
- regional clinical service planning that would encompass both primary and acute, sub-acute and community health services and occur in alignment with upcoming infrastructure master planning activities.
- a long-term plan for healthcare in Tasmania will be completed and released in December 2022.
Expert Advisory Group
An Expert Advisory Group has been established by the Department to engage key stakeholders and guide further policy development. The focus of the Group will be to guide:
- a Literature Review focused on strengthening healthcare in the community as a part of a focus on delivering the right care, in the right place, at the right time, to identify evidence-based strategies for Tasmania
- a Data Analysis Exercise to model projected demand for healthcare in Tasmania based on population needs, with a focus on identifying the future need for community care
- development of an exposure draft of Our Healthcare Future: Advancing Tasmania’s Health by December 2021.
The Expert Advisory Group is chaired by Professor Denise Fassett, Executive Dean, College of Health and Medicine at the University of Tasmania.
- It includes representatives from key stakeholder groups including health consumers, clinicians, primary health and social services, together with senior members of the Department.
- The Group has been chosen for their knowledge and experience of the Tasmanian health system, and ability to champion better outcomes for consumers, their families and carers now and in the future.
Collaborative design processes
- As we continue to implement the Immediate Actions, several collaborative design process will occur in parallel with the Plan’s development.
- They will focus on strengthening the clinical and consumer voice in health planning, as set out in Reform Initiative 3c of the Our Healthcare Future Immediate Actions and Consultation Paper.
The following activities will take place in close collaboration with stakeholders:
- co-design of a State-wide Clinical Senate with clinicians and consumers
- establishment of a Future Health Leaders Forum.
The collaborative design process begins with the release of the Establishing a State-wide Clinical Senate for Tasmania Issues Paper.
- Regional forums will be held with health consumers, health professionals and other key stakeholders to design its purpose, role and functions.
- The Issues Paper will act as a guide to the conversation that takes place.
Where to get more information
- To find out more about the Clinical Senate, register your interest in attending a regional forum or provide your feedback in response to the Issues Paper, email ourhealthcarefuture@health.tas.gov.au.
- Successful delivery of the Tasmanian Health Services Plan will require ongoing collaboration with health consumers, healthcare professionals and stakeholders.
- There will be opportunities to participate in the development of the long-term plan over the next 12 to 18 months as the more detailed clinical services planning takes place, as well as hospital and other local health facilities master-planning happening at a regional level.
Tasmanian Clinical Senate
- Clinical Senates are well respected clinical and consumer engagement bodies.
- They bring together clinicians from a range of disciplines and backgrounds with people who use health services.
- Together they provide independent, evidence-based advice on issues of strategic state-wide importance to public health systems.
- A state-wide Clinical Senate for Tasmania will provide expert advice to the Secretary, Department of Health and Ministers on health service planning.
Our Healthcare Future Immediate Actions and Consultation Paper
The Tasmanian Government’s Our Healthcare Future: Immediate Actions and Consultation Paper identified “strengthening the clinical and consumer voice in health service planning” as a reform initiative and vital next step in optimising Tasmania’s health service planning and governance processes.
We received feedback and comment on the establishment of a Clinical Senate. Submissions were received from a broad cross section of the community and noted the importance of health professionals and consumers being involved in health planning.
The submissions support the creation of a state-wide Clinical Senate and other consumer and clinical engagement strategies to assist in providing this advice. We have completed a Thematic Analysis of the emerging themes, including the establishment of the Clinical Senate.
- Download the Our Healthcare Future: Immediate Actions and Consultation Paper 2020
- Download the Our Healthcare Future: Thematic Analysis (Summary Version)
- Download the Our Healthcare Future: Thematic Analysis (Full Report)
- Download the Establishing a State-wide Clinical Senate for Tasmania Issues Paper 2021
Establishing a state-wide Clinical Senate for Tasmania Issues Paper
The Department has released an Issues Paper that outlines the key issues, opportunities, challenges and risks that surround establishing a state-wide Clinical Senate. It describes key issues for further consideration and consultation.
- We are now seeking feedback in response to the Issues Paper.
- Interested persons are welcome to send their comments, particularly in relation to the ‘Issues for Further Consideration and Consultation’ to ourhealthcarefuture@health.tas.gov.au.
- You may also choose to phone 03 6166 1075 to speak to a member of the Health Planning Unit.
Regional Stakeholder Forums
- The next steps in establishing a Clinical Senate are regional stakeholder forums and other meetings with health consumers, health professionals and other key stakeholders.
- This will inform the design of its purpose, role and functions.
- The Issues Paper will act as a guide to the conversation that takes place.
- These regional forums will be across the state in October and November 2021. Details regarding the forums will be advertised shortly.
- For further information, to register your interest in attending the forums, or provide input to the design process by commenting on the Issues Paper, email ourhealthcarefuture@health.tas.gov.au or phone 03 6166 1075.
Submissions received in response to the Consultation
- The following submissions were received in response to the Our Healthcare Future Immediate Actions and Consultation Paper and have been published in accordance with the Tasmanian Government’s Public Submissions Policy.
- In line with the Tasmanian Government Guidelines ‘Publication of submissions received by Tasmanian Government Departments in response to consultation on major policy matters’, some submissions were appropriately withheld from publication or information was wholly or partly redacted. For example, private phone numbers or information that is confidential or identifies third parties.
- If you believe your submission has been inappropriately withheld from publication or redacted, please feel free to contact the Department of Health to discuss this.
- Opinions expressed in the submissions are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the Tasmanian Government or the Department of Health.
Organisational submissions
ID |
Date Received |
Organisation |
|---|---|---|
|
OHF.1.1 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.2 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.3 |
21/01/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.4 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.5 |
27/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.6 |
18/01/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.7 |
19/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.8 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.9 |
17/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.10 |
11/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.11 |
09/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.12 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.13 |
09/02/2021 |
Central Connect's Connecting Care Chronic Health Action Group |
|
OHF.1.14 |
01/03/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.15 |
10/02/2021 |
Clinical Governance Unit; and Quality Patient and Safety Service Unit, DoH |
|
OHF.1.16 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.17 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.18 |
04/02/2020 |
|
|
OHF.1.19 |
15/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.20 |
02/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.21 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.22 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.23 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.24 |
17/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.25 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.26 |
10/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.27 |
15/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.28 |
19/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.29 |
18/12/2020 |
|
|
OHF.1.30 |
12/02/2021 |
Health Promotion Consultants/Coordinators, THS North West, South and North |
|
OHF.1.31 |
23/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.32 |
10/12/2020 |
|
|
OHF.1.33 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.34 |
04/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.35 |
10/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.36 |
19/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.37 |
12/02/2021 |
Occupational Therapy Discipline Leads, THS North, THS South, THS North West |
|
OHF.1.38 |
25/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.39 |
19/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.40 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.41 |
10/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.42 |
22/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.43 |
11/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.44 |
19/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.45 |
17/12/2020 |
|
|
OHF.1.46 |
15/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.47 |
11/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.48 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.49 |
12/01/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.50 |
26/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.51 |
18/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.52 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.53 |
16/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.54 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.55 |
13/01/2021 |
|
|
OHF.1.56 |
12/02/2021 |
Individual submissions
ID |
Date Received |
Individual(s) |
|---|---|---|
|
OHF.2.1 |
19/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.2.2 |
19/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.2.3 |
01/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.2.4 |
09/12/2020 |
|
|
OHF.2.5 |
28/01/2021 |
|
|
OHF.2.6 |
24/12/2020 |
|
|
OHF.2.7 |
19/01/2021 |
|
|
OHF.2.8 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.2.9 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.2.10 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.2.11 |
11/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.2.12 |
18/01/2021 |
|
|
OHF.2.13 |
25/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.2.14 |
02/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.2.15 |
12/02/2021 |
|
|
OHF.2.16 |
09/12/2020 |
Where to get more information
For further information, or to stay informed about the reform process:
- Download the Our Healthcare Future: Immediate Actions and Consultation Paper 2020
- Download the Our Healthcare Future: Thematic Analysis (Summary Version)
- Download the Our Healthcare Future: Thematic Analysis (Full Report)
- Download the Establishing a State-wide Clinical Senate for Tasmania Issues Paper 2021
- email: ourhealthcarefuture@health.tas.gov.au
