PARLIAMENT OF TASMANIA TRANSCRIPT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ESTIMATES COMMITTEE A Hon. Sarah Courtney MP Wednesday 25 November 2020 MEMBERS Hon Ruth Forrest MLC (Chair) Hon Mike Gaffney MLC (Deputy Chair) Hon Sarah Lovell MLC Hon Dr Bastian Seidel MLC Hon Rob Valentine MLC Hon Meg Webb MLC WITNESSES IN ATTENDANCE Hon. Sarah Courtney MP, Minister for Health; Minister for Strategic Growth; Minister for Women; Minister for Small Business, Hospitality and Events Ms Kathrine Morgan-Wicks, Secretary, Department of Health Mr Craig Jeffery, Chief Financial Officer Professor Tony Lawler, Chief Medical Officer Mr Ross Smith, Deputy Secretary, Policy, Purchasing, Performance and Reform Mr Dale Webster, Deputy Secretary, Community, Mental Health and Wellbeing Ms Renee Anderson, Chief People Officer, Human Resources, Department of Health Mr Matthew Eastham, Chief Executive, Ambulance Tasmania Shane Gregory, Deputy Secretary, Infrastructure, Department of Health Kim Evans, Secretary, Department of State Growth Brett Stewart, A/General Manager Business and Trade Tasmania PUBLIC The Committee met at 9.01 a.m. DIVISION 5 Department of Health CHAIR (Ms Forrest) - Good morning, minister, and thank you for coming. Welcome to Estimates Committee A hearings. If you would like to introduce your team at the table and any new members you bring forward during the hearings, that would be great. I invite you to make a short opening statement after you have done that. We will go through the output groups as listed in the Budget Papers and have a break for morning tea, hopefully around 11 a.m., depending on where we fall with output groups. When we get to Admitted Services, if you are happy to take questions on 90.7, the COVID-19 elective surgery uplift, that might be helpful because it is linked to Admitted Services. Ms COURTNEY - We're happy to take them wherever it is appropriate. CHAIR - Over to you, minister. Ms COURTNEY - Thank you very much. First, I extend my sincere condolences to those who have lost family members and loved ones through the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has touched us all. There is not a Tasmanian who has not had to deal with the issues posed by this virus in some way or another. Our frontline healthcare professionals, nurses, doctors, paramedics, cleaners and infection control experts did an extraordinary job tackling the biggest health threat we have faced in living memory. I particularly acknowledge those who were directly affected by COVID-19 when the outbreak occurred in the north-west. My message to Tasmanians is we must remain vigilant. Each and every one of us has a role to play in continuing to do the right thing, adhering to restrictions, getting tested if we show symptoms, and making sure that we reduce the risk of further outbreaks. The Government is focused on continuing to build a better health system for Tasmanians, which delivers the right care, in the right place, and at the right time. This Budget includes an unprecedented $9.8 billion in health spending over the next four years, underpinning record staffing levels, and opening and funding new beds to provide health care for Tasmanians. There is $600 million additional funding for the Tasmanian Health Service, a $45 million injection into elective surgery, which is expected to provide 8500 additional surgeries during the next 18 months, and more than $300 million to continue the rollout of new beds. There are now 1500 additional staff in our health system, compared with March 2014, which is indicative of our strong commitment to putting more resources into our system to better meet demand. But we are not just focused on our major hospitals, as important as they are. We are focused on building a better health system that delivers the care our patients deserve. Legislative Council Estimates Committee A 4 Wednesday 25 November 2020 - Courtney PUBLIC This is why it gives me great pleasure to make two announcements on further support the Government is delivering to improve access to healthcare services in our community. The first relates to $5 million which was allocated in March 2020 towards a primary healthcare support fund as part of the Government's immediate response to COVID-19. I can advise the committee that $4 million of this funding has gone towards a primary healthcare grant program which provided close to 500 grants of up to $10 000 to GPs and pharmacists across the state, supporting them to continue to deliver primary health services during the COVID pandemic. I am pleased to announce that the remainder of the fund, close to $1 million, will be going to Primary Health Tasmania to deliver a program to support GPs with their ongoing outbreak preparedness management. This includes increasing GP access to PPE supplies through the purchase and distribution of surgical gowns for clinics. Primary Health Tasmania will also engage specialist GP consultants to support targeted practices to establish or increase COVID-19 assessment and testing with a focus on building capacity in our rural and regional areas. The Department of Health is engaging with PHT to finalise the details of the program and funding agreement, with the intention to commence the rollout of this program next year. This further support for GPs demonstrates our clear commitment to continue to work closely to assist the primary healthcare sector to ensure that Tasmanians are able to access the care they need where and when they need it. I am also pleased that today the state Government has taken important steps in implementing a palliative care policy framework, Compassionate Communities, with the release of the second palliative care progress report. The Compassionate Communities framework is a five-year strategy that provides a whole-of-community approach to palliative care and aims to embed national standards and best-practice approach to palliative care. The Department of Health works closely with the Partners in Palliative Care Reference Group to develop the report and I thank them for their continued efforts in implementing the statewide palliative care policy framework and supporting the improvements in the key priority areas. The Tasmanian Government has a plan to build a better, stronger Tasmania and we are committed to building a better health system, supporting our staff, driving better care, and delivering the best possible outcomes for patients. Chair, the palliative care report I referred to has been uploaded to the website but I also have copies here. I will distribute them on the table to members so that we've got those. CHAIR - Yes, we will table them. Ms COURTNEY - At the table, to my left I welcome the Secretary of the Department, Kathrine Morgan-Wicks; to her left, the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Tony Lawler; and, to my right, is Craig Jeffery, the Chief Financial Officer. Regarding the attendance of deputy secretaries and others, we have a number of people co-located in other areas so we will get them to come when they're required. However, I note with regard to Dr Veitch, given he is obviously incredibly busy at the moment, we looked at the schedule and have asked him to be available between 12 p.m. and Legislative Council Estimates Committee A 5 Wednesday 25 November 2020 - Courtney PUBLIC 3 p.m., taking into account we have one hour in the middle for lunch, and that's a two-hour window which we thought would align with the Budget Papers. However - CHAIR - We can work around that, minister. Ms COURTNEY - Is that okay because - CHAIR - Yes, we can work around that. Ms COURTNEY - - He has a lot on at the moment. CHAIR - No, no. We can always come back to an output group. Ms COURTNEY - Yes. No, that's fine. He will be here at midday. CHAIR - That's fine. It may be easier that we move to Pubic Health - it is called Public Health Services - when he arrives. Ms COURTNEY - Yes, when he arrives. CHAIR - And then come back - Ms COURTNEY - And there might be some of the COVID-19 things as well that might be for him particularly, around any of the advice, so I will leave that for the committee.e but we'll have him for a couple of hours. Output Group 1 System Management 1.1 System Management - Health - CHAIR - We will move straight into line item 1.1, Systems Management in Health. We will ask probably some overview questions here as well. I want to start by looking at this. I note the split from Health and Mental Health and Wellbeing, the footnote in relation to the expense summary related to Output Group 1.1. It refers to both mental health and health. The actual budget last year was different to what the Budget is - the expense was this year and last year. They're not comparable. Is that related to the separation and spreading out overheads? I would have thought a lot of these services will remain fairly consistent, hopefully, rather than having duplication. I'm looking at the actual last year on this line item, which was $136.3 million whereas the budget was $152. Ms COURTNEY - Look, I'm happy for the secretary or the CFO to respond. Mr JEFFERY - Thank you, minister. You're looking at Output 1.1, Chair? CHAIR - Yes. Legislative Council Estimates Committee A 6 Wednesday 25 November 2020 - Courtney PUBLIC Mr JEFFERY - So in last year's budget papers, the forward Estimates for 2020-21 was $141 million. Is that the number you're looking at? CHAIR - I'm looking at the Budget versus actual. Mr JEFFERY - Okay. CHAIR - The actual from the annual report. Mr JEFFERY - All right. CHAIR - The actual from the annual report was $136 297 000.