Savings From Tasmanian Health Moves

The state government says its decision to stop searching for a new Mental Health boss will save taxpayers money.

The Examiner revealed yesterday that the Health Department dumped its search to replace John Crawshaw, who resigned as chief executive of Statewide and Mental Health Services in October last year. Advertisements were printed for a new chief executive, but Department of Health and Human Services deputy secretary Alice Burchill confirmed at the weekend that the recruitment process had since been abandoned.

She repeated yesterday that the decision had been made in light of national health reforms, which were signed up to in August and begin on July 1.

"Statewide and Mental Health Services will progressively transition during 2012-13 to the new Tasmanian Health Organisations,'' Ms Burchill said.

"As stated previously, because of this significant and fundamental structural change, the recruitment process . . . has ceased to allow the structural changes to be finalised before any future leadership decisions are made.

"This is prudent and cost effective for taxpayers and means every available resource can be put towards front-line services.''

She rejected claims from the Health and Community Services Union that the state was hiding behind national reforms, and had failed to adequately inform the sector of changes.

"This (national reform) has been clearly conveyed to staff, unions and the public for many months, and has been communicated through the media,'' Ms Burchill said.

"It is not true to say that it is unclear how THOs will operate post July 1, 2012. In fact, the Tasmanian Parliament passed the Tasmanian Health Organisation Act 2011 on November 24, which clearly sets out the roles and responsibilities of the new THOs. "Reforms are being implemented as per the legislation.''

Nick Goddard will remain acting chief executive.

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The Cost Of Tasmanian Work Stress

stress head (Photo credit: ian boyd)

Workplace stress and mental health issues in the state's public service are costing Tasmanian taxpayers millions of dollars.

The cost has risen to more than $100,000 a week as work pressure takes its toll on public servants.

The total workers' compensation bill for public servants was $30 million last financial year, up from $25 million in 2009-2010.

Statistics from WorkCover Tasmania show there were 181 mental health claims in the public sector last year at an average cost of $31,524, a total of about $5.5 million.

The figures come as the State Government cuts jobs from the public sector to plug a massive Budget black hole, prompting fears stress-related claims will grow as the cuts take effect.

Last week, the Menzies Research Institute and the Department of Health and Human

Services presented public lectures on Workers' Compensation and Stress in the Tasmanian State Service.

The workers' compo bill for stress at the DHHS alone is about $7.5 million for the past three years.

Until March this year, $1.6 million of the $4.9 million workers' compensation claims were for stress-related issues.

Workplace stress experts said yesterday that job insecurity was one of the main workplace-related risks to mental health and unions fear workplace stress is going to be an increasing problem as the workloads for public sector workers become more intense.

Senior lecturer in management from the University of Tasmania Dr Angela Martin said work groups that experienced increased threats to job security "can have an almost palpable level of anxiety".

"The majority of people don't cope well with uncertainty," she said.

Honorary secretary of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists

Dr John Chalk said stress-related claims were particularly common in the key services of health, education and police.

Australian Nursing Federation state secretary Neroli Ellis said Budget cuts in health were already being felt by patients and nurses.

"The recent ANF survey indicated that 96 per cent of nurses believed there is more stress in the workplace as a result of the Budget cuts," Ms Ellis said.

"Losing valued colleagues, supporting patients and families who cannot get a bed or being told their surgery is cancelled, low morale and increasing stressful environments ... are common themes affecting nurses."

CPSU secretary Tom Lynch said workplace stress would become an increasing problem in the next four years with sweeping Budget cuts.

"I have seen a significant increase in the past twelve months," Mr Lynch said.

"I don't see any relief in the future. Statistics around the public service are embarrassing."

Liberal spokesman for police and emergency management Elise Archer said yesterday police had been asked to make cuts to the workforce for a number of years.

"We are now seeing additional cuts and we will see additional levels of stress," she said.

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• Employee Stress on Radar, for National Stress Awareness Month (ehssafetynews.com)