A Tasmanian health union believes excessive waiting times for specialist appointments in Launceston will result in more patients needing surgery.
The Health and Community Services Union said new figures showed almost 6,000 people were waiting to attend specialist clinics at the Launceston General Hospital.
It claims many patients in the most urgent category are waiting as long as six weeks for an appointment.
Union spokesman Robbie Moore said it was proof the State Government needed to invest more in northern health services.
“Both elective and emergency surgeries are a lot more likely because they’re unable to get the treatment they need now, which will escalate the health issue,” Mr Moore said.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson said lengthy waiting lists demonstrated the importance of the Government’s health reforms.
Mr Ferguson said statewide, 26,000 patients could not even get onto the elective surgery waiting list, but he blamed the former government.
“I think it demonstrates how broken our health system really is,” he said.
“So I welcome the acknowledgement by the health union of these very long waiting lists, I think it contributes to the case that we need health reform in Tasmania.”