The state president of the Australian Medical Association has said that both major political parties must work with the federal government to rebuild the general practice workforce and make it a more attractive option for doctors in training.
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At a briefing to outline his election priorities on Monday, Dr John Saul said developing general practice was at the top of the AMA's state priorities despite the general practice being the federal government's responsibility.
"As a GP, I know how critical it is to have a strong primary health service to keep people out of hospital," Dr Saul said.
"And yet fewer doctors are becoming GPs, making it harder for people to see a GP when needed."
The AMA's other priorities included relieving hospital pressure by reducing bed blocks, cutting the medical imaging backlog, and building critical infrastructure by funding the Department of Health's 'acute health' and 'mental health master plans.
"There is no one solution to the issue of bed block in our hospitals," Dr Saul said.
"We need investment in a multitude of ways to eliminate the problem that sees ambulances ramped and patients stuck for hours and sometimes days on a bed within the busy, noisy, bright environment of the Emergency Department.
"We need more beds on wards, beds in homes supported virtually and beds in medi-hotel type facilities for those not requiring an acute bed.
"Which is why our third priority is putting dollars into the many master plans to grow beds," Dr Saul said.
He said both parties also needed to rule out imposing a payroll tax on general practice in the state after revenue authorities in Victoria and New South Wales began making retrospective tax claims on contracted GP doctors going back a decade.
According to Dr Saul, a similar decision could wreak havoc on the state's already pressured GP clinics and create a "false economy" by pushing more patients into the more expensive hospital system.
Labor has already done so, promising last week to rule out payroll tax on contracted general practitioners within the first 100 days of office if elected.
Treasurer Michael Ferguson has said the government does not collect payroll tax on contracted GP doctors and has no plans to change that policy.
Dr Toby Gardner, Tasmanian chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, said GPs such as himself were scared by the approach of revenue authorities in other states, and a "concrete" assurance on payroll tax was needed from both parties.
"We wanted something concrete from them because, in Victoria and NSW, the revenue offices have started slugging doctors for huge retrospective tax bills, and that's scary," he said.
In Tasmania, between 60 and 70 per cent of doctors are contractors that, under state rules, do not attract payroll tax.
The last two priorities on the AMA's list were community support, including a state-funded communications campaign against vaping targeted at teens and young Tasmanians.
"Far too many young people have been sucked into the addictive world of vaping, and now we fear it will be into nicotine pouches as vapes become harder to obtain," Dr Saul said.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said he had worked extensively with the AMA recently and would be open to their suggestions.
"We're making significant inroads in improving our health system, and we need to do more; we recognise that.
"We'll be very open to suggestions from the medical people themselves."
