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Department of Health Annual Report 2019-20 © Government of Tasmania 2020 For further information, please contact: Department of Health Office of the Secretary GPO Box 125 Hobart TAS 7001 Telephone: 1300 135 513 Website: www.health.tas.gov.au Published October 2020 ISBN 978-0-9924618-2-9 Hon Sarah Courtney MP Hon Jeremy Rockliff MP Minister for Health Deputy Premier Minister for Women Minister for Education and Training Minister for Strategic Growth Minister for Trade Minister for Small Business, Hospitality and Events Minister for Advanced Manufacturing and Defence Industries Minister for Disability Services and Community Development Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Dear Ministers Department of Health Annual Report 2019-20 In accordance with the requirements of Section 30 of the Tasmanian Health Service Act 2018, Section 36 of the State Service Act 2000 and Section 42 of the Financial Management Act 2016, I have pleasure in presenting the Department of Health Annual Report for the financial year ending 30 June 2020. Please note that this report also includes reports from the Council of Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity and the Tasmanian Pharmacy Authority. Kathrine Morgan-Wicks Secretary, Department of Health 7 October 2020 This page is intentionally blank Contents Page INTRODUCTION Message from the Secretary 2 COVID-19 Response 5 Governance 9 OUR DEPARTMENT Department Overview 14 System Manager and THS Service Plan 25 Quality and Patient Safety 30 Consumer and Community Engagement 33 Workforce Overview 36 Awards and Agreement 43 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Capital Works 46 Asset Management 49 Consultancies, Contracts and Tenders 50 Funded Community Sector Organisations 66 Insurable Risk 71 Pricing Policy 72 Superannuation Declaration 72 Right to Information 73 Public Interest Disclosure 76 Performance Audit 76 Legislation 77 Other Annual Reports Council of Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity 79 Tasmanian Pharmacy Authority 83 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Department of Health 102 Notes to and Forming Part of Financial Statements 108 Independent Auditors Report 189 Ambulance Tasmania 194 Notes to and Forming Part of Financial Statements 200 Independent Auditors Report 233 Tasmanian Health Service 236 Notes to and Forming Part of Financial Statements 242 Independent Auditors Report 284 This page is intentionally blank 1 INTRODUCTION 1 of 288 INTRODUCTION Message from the Secretary Usually when sitting down to write a foreword to an annual report, I automatically turn my thoughts to the achievements that the department, as a collective, has achieved. I think back over the many policy developments, project plans, budget and finance considerations, and any number of decisions that typify day-to-day departmental operations. But this year, there is overwhelmingly one thing that, quite rightly, should be highlighted above all others – our people. When I reflect on the past year, the efforts of the people who make up the Department of Health family, are nothing short of remarkable. Whether they are part of the Tasmanian Health Service (THS), Ambulance Tasmania, or the Department, our people have displayed the highest levels of dedication and professionalism for the benefit of the entire Tasmanian community. While pandemic planning is part of our usual business, I don’t believe anyone could have predicted the impact of coronavirus on not just our state, but our country and, for that matter, the entire world. To deal with the immense challenge that coronavirus posed to our state and the health system, we have relied on every single person charged with a role caring for the health of Tasmanians to do what they do to the very best of their ability. And that is exactly what they have done. From our hospital staff, our paramedics, and every single person whose job it is to support them, our people have stood up on behalf of the Tasmanian community. Whether it be standing up and leading our health emergency coordination and operations centres, testing, treating, or conducting business as usual, every single person has contributed to the overall task. I would like to specifically acknowledge the THS staff at our hospitals in Burnie, Latrobe and Launceston. COVID-19 hit our regions harder than anywhere else in the state. The outbreak forced us to take action that can only be described as unprecedented – specifically in that two hospitals, the North West Regional Hospital and the North West Private Hospital – had to be closed, cleaned, and reopened, at the same time as all of the hospital staff and their households being place into quarantine. The fact that these hospitals and all supporting health services reopened inside four weeks is a testament in itself to the hard work and commitment of staff, who were undoubtedly supported by their families, friends and the broader community. In Tasmania we are used to seeing communities stand together in adversity. I would argue that never before have we seen the entire state stand together to achieve what has been achieved in the past few months. These reflections cannot omit the sad reality that coronavirus delivered, despite our best efforts. To the families of the 13 Tasmanians who died with the virus, I offer on behalf of the Department, my sincere condolences. To those who have had the virus, to those with family members affected by the virus, I would like to underline our commitment that we did all we could as a health system to support and assist, just as we strive to do when any Tasmanian falls ill or requires health care. 2 of 287 INTRODUCTION It can be difficult to see in this document, amid the numbers and tables, the real stories of the people who make up this Department. They are the people who wake up every day and set off to make someone else’s day just that little bit better. As I write this, several of our staff remain in Victoria where they are assisting care for people in aged care facilities as that state grapples with the full effects of a deadly pandemic. Typically, when the call for help went out, Tasmanians stood up to be on the front line. It’s not something that surprises us, such is our dedication to our broader community, but one we should recognise nevertheless. To all of our people: thank you. We simply could not have done this without you. Figure 1 A team effort to tackle COVID-19 And the work isn’t finished. We continue to plan and respond, relying on the best advice from Public Health Services in order to assist the public at every turn. We acknowledge that everyone in Tasmania has had to make changes to their lifestyle because of this virus, and we acknowledge that often what we ask for is difficult – particularly for those whose businesses and livelihoods have suffered directly as a result. While it has not been our intention, it has been a necessity, and we do understand the sacrifices many people have had to make in order for our community to remain free of coronavirus. Outside of the dark veil of coronavirus, there has been significant achievements for the Department and its agencies. K-Block, the centrepiece of the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) Redevelopment, has been completed. The building represents state-of-the-art medical facilities and the highest level of hospital care for all Tasmanians. In itself, this project has been a massive undertaking. The fact that it started taking patients during the coronavirus pandemic with little fanfare further underlines the challenges we were facing. On 4 May 2020, the new dual capability Hyperbaric / Hypobaric Chamber was used to treat its first patient. The state-of-the-art chamber is the first with combined Hyperbaric / Hypobaric capabilities in Australia. Figure 2 Patients in the new Hyperbaric / Hypobaric Chamber On 6 May 2020, aero-medical retrieval operations commenced from the Helipad on the roof of K-Block. This lifesaving infrastructure allows medics to respond to critical incidents faster, delivers patients to treatment sooner and reduces preventable adverse outcomes due to avoidable transit delays. Figure 3 Aero-medical Operations on RHH Helipad 3 of 287 INTRODUCTION Works continued on the expansion and redevelopment of the 4K Children’s Ward at the Launceston General Hospital with Stage 1 works achieving operational handover on 22 May 2020 and Stage 2 works commencing on 15 June 2020. The Community Rapid Response Service (ComRRS) pilot has been expanded in the South and North West building on the successful pilot in Launceston to build better connections between acute and primary care. ComRRS is a hospital avoidance service within Community Health Nursing Services that offers responsive and high intensity intermediate management and treatment for people in the community with an acute illness, injury or an exacerbation of a pre-existing condition, who would otherwise require a period of hospitalisation. The Statewide Access Solutions and Patient Flow Program continues to build on work already complete or underway, to deliver sustainable improvement in the performance of our hospitals and health services against key indicators of service quality. In addition to the delivery of additional fast tracked beds in K Block, pilot access projects are well underway in the South, including Medtasker, Pharmacy Charting and Hospital in the Home, with evaluation to inform proposed roll-out statewide. In the North we have recently trialled a subacute rehabilitation model of care at the Deloraine District Hospital which saw an additional 572 bed days made available at the Launceston General Hospital, with extension discussion now underway. The Tasmanian Mental Health Reform Program commenced in August 2019 with the key task of implementing the recommendations from the Report of the Mental Health Integration Taskforce and Government Response to fundamentally change the way mental health services are delivered in Tasmania. A Mental Health Hospital in the Home trial commenced in southern Tasmania in March 2019 to allow clients, who may have otherwise received an inpatient service, to receive intensive, short term support in their home.

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