The Tasmanian Greens believe that good health is a combination of optimum physical, mental, spiritual, cultural and social wellbeing, not simply the absence of disease or infirmity.

The Greens believe that far greater emphasis must be placed on preventative health programs that encourage the maintenance of good health into old age and ensure a better quality of life. Education programs are an essential part of this process.

Our approach is holistic. We recognise that environmental, economic, social and political factors are significant determinants of good health. Clean air, water, food and appropriate housing are preconditions to wellbeing and can circumvent many illnesses or diseases. Cost savings arising from improved community health will be directed to more affordable, accessible, equitable and appropriate care when illness or infirmity does occur.  To this end, we will develop a whole-state Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

The Greens are committed to system-wide planning, involving better coordination of service delivery, cooperation between hospitals and clinics, and the removal of unnecessary duplication of services to ensure the viability of acute care and quality medical attention while, at the same time, devolving some essential services to provide for a fairer distribution of health care throughout the state.

We are committed to significantly reducing the incidence of preventable illness, including cardio-vascular and respiratory diseases, cancers, hepatitis and diabetes, by providing funding for lifelong education and health programs. These would promote appropriate exercise and nutrition, and discourage risk-taking behaviour.   We recognise that alcohol and tobacco are the drugs which result in the greatest health risk and financial cost to society. We support the principle of harm minimisation and, consequently, treat the personal misuse of drugs as primarily a health issue.

Measures:

Healthy Environment: develop and implement plans that reduce the incidence of illness caused by unhealthy or unsafe environmental practices or habits; expand programs that discourage smoking; introduce legislation to further restrict the sale and advertising of tobacco and alcohol products; develop strategies to minimise the misuse of drugs, including education programs and regulation

Healthy Lifestyles: ensure all Tasmanians have ready access to current information and appropriate assistance to strive for and maintain a healthy lifestyle, considerate of individual circumstances; develop strategies to minimise the misuse of drugs including education programs and regulation

Community Participation: review health priorities and set new ones using ongoing, open processes that promote community participation, with renewed emphasis on rural health services; expand rural and isolated community health services; provide greater, more efficient ambulance services across the whole state and the islands

Hospitals: give greater administrative autonomy to regional hospitals in regard to staffing and capital expenditure; centralise those aspects of health administration that duplicate roles; invite public consultation as to the timing, location and capital funding options when upgrading or replacing hospitals; standardise compatible technology for efficiency of purchase and service

Mental Health: improve service delivery in mental health and in drug and alcohol rehabilitation by facilitating effective and formal partnerships between the public and private sectors; create adequate accommodation facilities for outpatients

Workforce: strengthen the health workforce by improving efficiency in recruiting, providing attractive career structures and conditions which retain nurses, doctors and allied professionals to the public system; improve access to multi-disciplinary training and education in both rural and urban areas; address ambulance service staff shortages and explore alternative and improved funding models for ambulance services; ensure an appropriate ratio of administration to medical and support staff, increasing the provision of services in preference to the disproportionate growth in management

Aboriginal Health: ensure that all Aboriginal people have processes for determining their own health priorities; provide training in culturally sensitive health care to all professionals in mainstream health services

Disability Sector: develop a charter of rights for Tasmanians with disabilities and their carers that clarifies state responsibilities in the provision of services; improve flexibility in funding options for people with disability and their carers.

Dental Health:  cooperate with the Commonwealth in developing and implementing a universal public dental health system, expanding the State Dental Service in the interim to include partnerships with private practitioners to improve access to services, especially in regard to children’s dental care; prioritise a feasibility study for a Health Professionals course through the University of Tasmania to provide training in Dentistry and allied health professions

Technology: promote the use of information technology to improve communication and reduce costs whilst ensuring privacy and confidentiality; ensure standardised, compatible and integrated software across the regions

Natural Therapies: improve access to quality alternative health care by developing an independent and accountable regulatory system of natural therapies; encourage the development of a complementary medicines unit within the school of Medicine at the University of Tasmania

Rural Health: increase the capacity for initial treatment in emergency service in rural and remote areas, particularly by improving air ambulance services

Pesticides:  reduce the use of pesticides across the state to an absolute minimum