Heart surgeries in Tasmania reduced from daily to two a week amid indefinite industrial action

Tasmania's health department has been forced to reduce what are normally daily heart surgeries due to strike action from "vital" cardiac specialists.

Open heart surgeries for heart disease usually take place on an elective basis once a day, often extending to two a day when there are emergencies.

But the Tasmanian health department and its three clinical perfusionists say currently only two electives can take place a week, following the latest round of industrial action which began in February.

Emergency surgery is still going ahead unrestricted, but the perfusionists have withdrawn from most planned surgeries, with work bans increasing since late last year.

Clinical perfusionists keep patients alive during what is considered a major procedure, explained Ghaz Jabur, Head of Clinical Perfusion at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

"We take over the function of the heart and the lungs during open heart surgery by using quite advanced technology and machinery, specifically the heart-lung machine, or the bypass machine," Dr Jabur said.

Due to there being only three perfusionists and one trainee, the on-call commitments are significant, Dr Jabur said.

"We do one in three weekdays and one in three weekends on call," he said.

"Not only that, [just] because a person is on call, it doesn't mean that sometimes other people that are not on call are needed.

"That's happened multiple times, where I've got my kids on my lap sitting in my lounge and I get a call saying we need help, and I've got to just drop everything and go."

The four professionals hope to stay in the state to tend to an expected increase in demand for cardiac services, given Tasmania's aging population.

But they are on the brink of leaving due a standstill on pay and conditions negotiations with the government. 

They said the government has told them and the broader health department that they have no money to meet their needs.

"If there are no perfusionists, there is no heart surgery, and people will have to be transferred to the mainland," Dr Jabur said.

"People who are very sick, it will be very hard for them to transport them to the mainland. They're unstable, and it will be a logistical nightmare, let alone the financial implications that will go with that."

Trainee perfusionist Ed Okey said it was "hard looking at finishing training" with little prospect of staying in his home state.

"I've been in Tassie my whole life, it's where I want to live, where I want to raise kids and have my life," Mr Okey said.

"But then if you look interstate and see the pay disparity, at the top end it's up to 80 per cent more when it comes to money, and better working conditions, more annual leave if you work extra on call, allowances for if you do higher education, things like that that don't exist down here," he said.

Locums sought to address surgery delays

The Tasmanian health department said it was rescheduling postponed procedures as soon as possible, and that "options are being explored to increase surgery levels and further mitigate the impact of this industrial action, including locums".

The government's decision to approve spending on locums has upset current local staff.

"How can you justify bringing locums in for a very short period of time when that money could actually go towards our contract, and almost entirely fund what we need for the three year period, I just don't understand the logic," Dr Jabur said.

"If you have no money, how can you approve locum perfusion — and I know how much locums earn, because I was one of them."

Dr Jabur, originally from New Zealand, said in 2024 he worked as a locum in Tasmania at a time where there were none and he was urgently contacted to help.

From there, the workforce was able to be rebuilt through temporary incentives, according to a letter of support from heads of other Royal Hobart Hospital departments to management.

"The money they'll be spending on locums and their flights and their accommodation and they bring them in for a two or three months, they could cover what we're asking for," he said.

Tasmanian Health Minister Bridget Archer was asked what was stopping the state government from accepting the workers' requests, whether lack of money was an issue, and how it justified seeking locum workers to reduce the impact of industrial action.

"The Tasmanian government values all our health care workers and want to see them get a pay rise as soon as possible," Ms Archer said.

"We will continue to negotiate in good faith and hope to have a resolution soon."

She did not respond to questions around locums and the budget, but in parliament this week said the government also wanted to reduce the amount of locums it hired.

Widespread industrial action continues

Industrial action from public sector workers of the Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) around Tasmania is heating up. 

The union said workers are seeking greater supports, safer working conditions and more competitive pay with other states.

It said this month, industrial action would take place across the state in various hospitals and clinics, involving staff from:

• Building, facilities and house services
• Environmental services
• Domestic services
• Instrument sterilisation
• Hospital aides, ward clerks and administration
• Pharmacy
• Mental health
• Oral health
• Child safety
• Cleaning
• Radiation and oncology
• Orderlies

Additionally, it will involve all public sector members at the Beaconsfield District Hospital North; Devonport Community Health Centre; Ulverstone Community Health; and the Mersey Community Hospital, HACSU said.

"I have never seen a situation where you have got such widespread industrial action," HACSU state secretary Robbie Moore said.

"And it's nearly always happening because the government has said they'll do one thing, and then they don't do it," he said.