While the Tasmanian Government announced in January of this year an Inquiry into Rural Health Services for Tasmania, many in the Huon Valley community have noticed the gradual decline in services, especially in emergency services.
Ambulance response times and access to emergency medical help has been raised by a variety of community and medical organisations which sparked the Rural Health Services Inquiry and yet, wait times have grown longer and access to services has become increasingly difficult.
One community member raising the issue of emergency wait times is Shane Johnson.
As a representative of the Franklin Progress Association and a Huon Valley local, Mr Johnson made his own submission to the Inquiry into Rural Health Services for Tasmania, declaring his deep concern at the inadequacy of the ambulance service in rural Tasmania, especially in the Huon Valley region.
Volunteers in the ambulance service, as well as Huon Valley community members, have advised Mr Johnson that emergency services are taking longer to reach the valley and to get to critical emergencies.
For the full story, pick up the latest copy of the Huon News.