Morale on the rise at troubled Launceston General Hospital

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Photo: Hospital staff are said to be happier, despite a ward reopening delay. (ABC News: Ross Marsden)

Staff at Launceston General Hospital (LGH) say morale is improving as steps are taken to resolve a crisis in the emergency department.

Nine out of 11 doctors in the department have either resigned or threatened to resign, citing a lack of beds in the hospital that has compromised their ability to care for patients.

Two weeks ago Tasmanian Health Minister Michael Ferguson announced 12 extra ward beds would be reopened at the hospital and 17 new nurses would be hired.

The reopening and staffing of Ward 4D will go ahead, but will be delayed until July 18.

The chairman of the hospital’s Medical Staff Association, Associate Professor Scott Parkes, said doctors and nurses were buoyed by the State Government’s response.

“The desire of the CEO of the Tasmanian Health Service, and of the Health Minister to actually listen, are to understand what the problems are and to try and provide some solutions,” he said.

“So we’re at an early stage of that, but that’s certainly helped with our morale.”

The crisis erupted publicly during the federal election campaign.

Professor Parkes said that was coincidental and he was unsure how much impact the situation had on the election result, which led to the ousting of Liberal members in three Tasmanian electorates.

“None of this was politically timed,” he said.

“A number of things happened, including the desire to change the governance system of our hospitals, and as part of that highlighted just the dire crisis that our hospital was in.”

Ward reopening delayed

The hospital’s mothballed Ward 4D was planned to reopen by this weekend to provide extra beds.

That has now been pushed back, with the Tasmanian Health Service (THS) blaming the delay on work needed to get the ward ready.

In a statement, a THS spokesman said the ward would be reopened as quickly as possible.

“Additional beds will be available in other areas to support emergency demand, if required, while this work is completed,” it stated.

“Additional nursing staff are being sourced from the recent advertisement for nursing staff, from current LGH pool staff, and if necessary some temporary agency nursing staff.

“Allied health support will come from existing resources, including current casuals, supplemented if necessary by agency staff.”