Almost 3,000 healthcare workers have joined the Tasmanian Health Service since the launch of Tasmania’s largest-ever healthcare recruitment blitz in late April last year.
Minister for Health, Jacquie Petrusma said 2,945 health workers have been recruited, with 972 more nurses, 535 more doctors and 257 more allied health professionals recruited across the state over the last year.
“Today, on International Nurses Day, Florence Nightingale’s birthday, we celebrate and recognise the outstanding contributions of our amazing nurses across Tasmania,” said Minister Petrusma.
Our nurses are the backbone and lifeblood of our healthcare system, and I’m proud to announce that we’ve employed nearly three nurses a day into the Tasmanian Health Service.
“Tasmania now has more doctors, more nurses, more allied health care professionals, more ambulance personnel, more dentists, more radiologists and more orderlies than any time in our history.
“This means every single Tasmanian, no matter where they live across our State, can get better healthcare, sooner.
“Notably, nearly one-third of recruits are from interstate or overseas, reflecting that Tasmania is a great place to work, live and raise a family.”
As part of its 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, the Tasmanian Government committed $10 million for a package of incentives to deliver hundreds of extra nurses into the Tasmanian health system.
To attract more nurses and midwives, this package includes relocation allowances of up to $15,000 for those who move to Tasmania from interstate, and $10,000 scholarships for Tasmanian nursing and midwifery graduates who remain in the State.
Minister Petrusma said hundreds of nurses and midwives had taken up the offer.
“This year, we’ve welcomed more than 300 nursing and midwifery graduates to the Transition to Practice Program, and more than 300 nurses and midwives have taken up roles after relocating to Tasmania from interstate or overseas,” Ms Petrusma said.
“We will build on the success of the first year of the recruitment blitz and continue to grow the health workforce needed to ensure Tasmanians get the right care, in the right place, at the right time,” she said.
Recruitment drive just the tonic for Tasmanian healthcare system
