Labor has launched a blistering attack on the government's health record, claiming that newly released data shows hospital patients are languishing for "record" times on elective surgery waitlists.
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According to the latest data from the Health Department, just 39 per cent of ED patients were treated within the clinically recommended four hours at the Launceston General Hospital (LGH) in May.
That was a slight improvement from recent months, but down from the 45 per cent treated within four hours at the LGH ED in October last year.
In Burnie, 45 per cent of North West Regional Hospital (NWRH) elective surgery patients were admitted within clinically recommended time periods during May.
Wait times for 'Category 2' elective surgery patients at NWRH were particularly alarming - just 26 per cent of patients were admitted within the recommended time of 90 days.
They also revealed that the NWRH's emergency department has not improved, with just 55 per cent of ED patients being treated within four hours in May, continuing a negative downward trend of the past year.
Labor health spokesperson Ella Haddad said elective surgery waitlists have jumped nearly five per cent to a twelve-month high of 8,437.
She said on average, Tasmanians are waiting over 200 days beyond the clinically recommended time for surgery.
She also said ambulance emergency response times have been increasing, and were now at "record highs".
Health Minister Guy Barnett said a "record" 21,627 elective surgeries were delivered in the state during the year to May.
This was despite a "significant surge" in hospital presentations during the period.
"More Tasmanians are getting the right health care sooner, despite increasing demand," he said.
"We have invested significantly in elective surgeries in recent years and these positive results confirm our investment is working, with more Tasmanians able to have a better quality of life as a result.
"We know there is record demand and we continue to pull out all the stops to ensure we are providing the right care, at the right place, at the right time."
The debate over the latest hospital data comes as the government faces criticism over cost-cutting measures at the Department of Health.
Labor has claimed that the Board is aimed at cutting critical administrative staff, including specialised hospital cleaners.
Ms Haddad said cutting critical administrative staff would risk increasing bed block and shifting work loads onto frontline health workers such as nurses.
The government has said it is not planning to cut any 'frontline' staff, and is instead on a "recruitment blitz", but has not defined what it considers 'frontline' staff.
