Latest news with #Devonport
ABC News
4 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Patients worried about the future of Healthscope hospitals around Australia
Vicky Purnell is a cancer survivor, and believes that without the Hobart Private Hospital, the outcome might have been different. In 2016, Ms Purnell, from Devonport in Tasmania's north-west, was diagnosed with uterine cancer. Within four days, she had surgery at the Hobart Private. It is one of Healthscope's 37 private hospitals across Australia, which are under a cloud since the company's owners went into receivership this week. The company has promised it is business as usual for the hospitals, but the uncertainty is causing concern for patients around the country. In Tasmania, surgery for gynaecological cancer is only done at the Royal Hobart and Hobart Private hospitals. Ms Purnell said she had the "full pull-out of everything" in a successful operation. It was only during the surgery it became clear how fast-growing the cancer was. "I very quickly realised I had such swift surgery because I had private health insurance and I was able to go into the Hobart Private, as opposed to waiting for a space at the Royal." Ms Purnell said a longer wait for surgery could have given her a different outcome. She said she was concerned by Healthscope's announcement and the impact it might have if it led to the closure of the Hobart Private and resulted in more surgeries going through the public system. "You don't have to be Einstein to work out that if you're going to take those cases to the Royal [Hobart Hospital] there is going to be a wait. "There's only a finite amount of resources and a finite amount of operating theatre time." Ms Purnell said it was an anxious time for patients linked to Healthscope. "We just don't know what the long-term outcome will be." Hobart-based patient Josie Mackey has used Healthscope hospitals in Tasmania and Victoria multiple times a year for the past decade for chronic health conditions and mental health. The 27-year-old said she was feeling "extremely concerned" about the company's owners' financial woes, especially after it closed its mental health hospital in Hobart in 2023. "All of my specialists work out of Healthscope hospitals, and, as someone with complex chronic health conditions, it gives me a lot of anxiety," Ms Mackey said. "It puts into question future surgeries and procedures and as to where they'll be performed out of. Will these specialists move interstate or elsewhere as they have nowhere to work out of?" Ms Mackey does not believe the public system could meet her complex needs. "My experiences with Healthscope hospitals has been overwhelmingly positive compared to other hospitals, from the nurses, doctors, staff, food services, to getting a fast admission date," she said. Ms Mackey will require ongoing procedures for endometriosis. She said if she were a public patient, she could be waiting for more than a year for surgery, living with pain in the meantime, and unable to access other services. Darwin mum Jess McClusky has private health insurance and is expecting a second child. During her first pregnancy, she said it was comforting to have a private obstetrician caring for her, along with a five-day stay in the private hospital with access to specialists on the ward. But from next week, Healthscope will no longer offer maternity services at the Darwin Private Hospital, leaving no private service. From August, it will also close maternity services in Hobart, leaving Tasmania with only one private operator. Up in the Top End, it's making Ms McClusky question whether it's worth keeping her health insurance. "It's a waste of money … if you're paying for insurance and you can't get anything for it, what's the point in having it? "We're going to continue it until we've had this baby and then we will reconsider our options." Like Josie Mackey, Jess McClusky has concerns about going through the public system. "The public hospital that we've got here in Darwin is overcapacity, often," she said. Australian Medical Association president Dr Danielle McMullen said the balance between private and public care in Australia was essential. "It's what makes our healthcare system unique and is what leads to some of the world-leading outcomes we see in Australia." Dr McMullen said almost 70 per cent of elective or planned surgeries were done in the private sector. "That highlights just how critical our private hospitals are." She said Healthscope's problems would be felt strongly in regional areas, where in some places it is the only private operator. Dr McMullen said change was needed to ensure private hospitals stayed viable. "It's really important that governments come together with insurers and private hospitals and groups like the AMA under a private health system authority to really drive the reforms we need to see." Dr McMullen said many doctors in regional areas worked between the public and private system to offer different services and expand their careers. "We've seen examples across the country that when a private hospital closes, we lose much-needed doctors from the region. "Many of these doctors use their private practices to help support the suitability of their practice in the public hospital as well. It's something Vicki Purnell is worried about too, when it comes to surgeons in Tasmania. "We are down to one gynaecological oncologist at the moment who is performing surgery at the Hobart Private and the Royal [Hobart Hospital]," she said. Jess McClusky is also concerned about losing specialists in Darwin. While she can still use a private obstetrician with her insurance, she's worried the closure of the private maternity ward will mean they'll shut up shop. "We don't know how long the private obstetricians will be here, one is retiring and the other is considering her options," she said.
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Josh Dolega selected as Labor senator for Tasmania, replaces Anne Urquhart
A unionist with a low public profile has been selected as Tasmania's next Labor senator filling the vacancy left by Anne Urquhart who won the lower house seat of Braddon at the recent election. Labor sources say Josh Dolega, a former fitness instructor and lead organiser at the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), was confirmed by the party's national executive on Friday, beating candidates with larger public profiles. A member of the party's left faction, it is understood Mr Dolega is willing to relocate from Hobart to the north-west coast, where Ms Urquhart had been based. Mr Dolega has worked as a tax officer for the Australian Tax Office in Burnie for more than a decade, and as a group fitness instructor at the Devonport aquatic centre. He does not have a high profile social media presence, but in a submission to a review of local government in Tasmania, said that the state's 29 councils should be reduced to three, one each in Devonport, Launceston and Hobart. The incoming senator has also previously voiced his support for former state Labor leader turned independent David O'Byrne. In a comment on Mr O'Byrne's Facebook post last year, when he announced he would be standing as an independent candidate, Mr Dolega offered to volunteer. "You can count on my vote and volunteer support David! Your (sic) a true champion of regular people in Franklin," the comment read. Earlier this week the ABC reported that Mr Dolega was the frontrunner, in a field that included Unions Tasmania secretary Jessica Munday, Meander Valley Councillor Ben Dudman and former state secretary Stuart Benson. At the time, a member of Labor's left-faction, who had been lobbying for Ms Munday to be awarded the casual vacancy, said they found it "bizarre and wrong" to overlook a "highly qualified popular leader". "We have a candidate here with deep expertise in policy, governance and leadership," they said. "These decisions need to be based on merit but this doesn't seem to be happening." But it's understood Mr Dolega had the backing of Ms Urquhart. Ms Urquhart's support was seen as particularly important by the national executive, after she quit her position in the Senate following a request from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to contest Braddon, achieving a 15.3 per cent swing. Ms Urquhart was contacted for comment.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- BBC News
Man, 20, dies in motorcycle crash in Plymouth
A 20-year-old man has died in a motorcycle crash in Plymouth. The crash between a red Mercedes and a red Honda motorcycle happened on Kings Road, in Devonport, at about 10:50 BST on Tuesday, police and Cornwall Police said the motorcycle rider, a local man in his 20s, died at the who witnessed the crash was asked to contact police.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Revealed: The Royal Navy drone submarine designed to stop Russia blacking out Britain in battle beneath the waves
The Royal Navy will launch a fleet of 'drone' submarines to protect vital undersea cables from Russian 'shadow fleet' attacks in what Minsters have called a move to 'pre-war footing'. A prototype of the unmanned 19-tonne vessel, named Excalibur, was launched at Devonport naval base last week and will pave the way for production of an entire squadron. They are designed to safeguard vital subsea infrastructure, according to the Ministry of Defence, and will be central to the Government's new defence plans. Underwater fibre-optic cables which lie on the ocean floor allow for global communication and internet connectivity between continents, whilst other cables are responsible for carrying electricity. Excalibur will now embark on two years of trials as the Royal Navy seeks to strengthen its capabilities in the 'underwater battlespace' amid increasingly bold incursions from Russia 's 'dark fleet' which transmit false data to dodge detection. It comes as the Government is set to reveal the results of its strategic defence review (SDR), which is expected to focus on tightening up homeland security, protecting national assets and traditional war-fighting capabilities. Ministers are expected to emphasise a need for Britain to move to a 'pre-war footing' of increased military preparedness as fears of Russia extending its attacks beyond Ukraine grow. It is anticipated that measures to protect our undersea cables from attack will be highlighted in the SDR, including plans to introduce a volunteer 'home guard' to shield locations where the cables run on to land. A MoD spokesman said the SDR will set out 'a path for the next decade to transform the armed forces to ensure we're prepared for emerging threats, making Britain secure at home and strong abroad'. Previous attacks on key underwater infrastructure have raised concerns over the level of security in place. In 2022, a series of underwater explosions targeted the Nord Stream pipeline causing gas leaks on three out of four natural gas pipelines, rendering them inoperable. Fears were ramped up again last year when a Russian spy ship entered an area of the Irish Sea where critical pipelines and cables located in the Baltic Sea were damaged. These two incidents saw the introduction of a 10-country push, led by the UK, to monitor suspicious Russian ships in the English Channel, North Sea and Baltic Sea. Excalibur is battery-powered and was built by Plymouth-based MSubs as part of a £15m contract. It boasts a range of 1,000 miles and measures 39 feet long by 6.5 feet wide, making it the biggest unmanned submersible ever operated by a European navy. But it still fits into a standard 40ft shipping container, making it easier to transport. Batteries will be carried in packs down each side of the sub and it features two pressurised compartments to carry computing and control equipment. A handout picture released by the Britain's Ministry of Defence (MOD) in London on January 22, 2025 shows Royal Navy Royal Navy of RFA Proteus (R) patrolling near the Russian vessel Yantar (L), in November 2024 Britain's Defence Secretary John Healey (R) talks to Commanding Officer of RFA Proteus, Captain Martin Jones (L) as he sits at the dynamic positioning desk on the bridge during his visit to RFA Proteus on February 20, 2025 The compartments are separated by a central storage bay which could carry mines, deployable sensors and smaller underwater drones. Excalibur will have deeper diving capabilities than any of the Navy's manned subs and is designed to allow the storage section to be doubled if necessary. For example, extra room could be added to store more batteries to extend the amount of time it can spend at sea. The Royal Navy said testing of the craft will strengthen 'efforts to remain ahead of potential foes beneath the waves, safeguarding key infrastructure, protecting British and allied ships and submarines and gathering intelligence'. Excalibur is expected to influence the design of a hunter killer submarine which will be built as part of the Aukus security pact with Australia and the US, with representatives from both countries attending its launch last week. The new 'drone' subs will supplement the Proteus, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship used to launch smaller underwater surveillance vessels and devices which was launched in 2023. The Government's defence plans are also set to put forward the idea of an increased role for private investment. This could encourage global tech companies to help fund the protection of the cables - which are vital to their business - with radars, sensors and underwater vehicles. Defence Secretary John Healey last week announced the establishment of a Defence Industrial Joint Council, which will coordinate public-private investment. The council will is set to meet for the first time in June.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Drone submarines to enhance Royal Navy's undersea cable security
The Royal Navy will launch a fleet of 'drone' submarines to protect vital undersea cables from Russian 'shadow fleet' attacks in what Minsters have called a move to 'pre-war footing'. A prototype of the unmanned 19-tonne vessel, named Excalibur, was launched at Devonport naval base last week and will pave the way for production of an entire squadron. They are designed to safeguard vital subsea infrastructure, according to the Ministry of Defence, and will be central to the Government's new defence plans. Underwater fibre-optic cables which lie on the ocean floor allow for global communication and internet connectivity between continents, whilst other cables are responsible for carrying electricity. Excalibur will now embark on two years of trials as the Royal Navy seeks to strengthen its capabilities in the 'underwater battlespace' amid increasingly bold incursions from Russia's 'dark fleet' which transmit false data to dodge detection. It comes as the Government is set to reveal the results of its strategic defence review (SDR), which is expected to focus on tightening up homeland security, protecting national assets and traditional war-fighting capabilities. Ministers are expected to emphasise a need for Britain to move to a 'pre-war footing' of increased military preparedness as fears of Russia extending its attacks beyond Ukraine grow. It is anticipated that measures to protect our undersea cables from attack will be highlighted in the SDR, including plans to introduce a volunteer 'home guard' to shield locations where the cables run on to land. A MoD spokesman said the SDR will set out 'a path for the next decade to transform the armed forces to ensure we're prepared for emerging threats, making Britain secure at home and strong abroad'. Previous attacks on key underwater infrastructure have raised concerns over the level of security in place. In 2022, a series of underwater explosions targeted the Nord Stream pipeline causing gas leaks on three out of four natural gas pipelines, rendering them inoperable. Fears were ramped up again last year when a Russian spy ship entered an area of the Irish Sea where critical pipelines and cables located in the Baltic Sea were damaged. These two incidents saw the introduction of a 10-country push, led by the UK, to monitor suspicious Russian ships in the English Channel, North Sea and Baltic Sea. Excalibur is battery-powered and was built by Plymouth-based MSubs as part of a £15m contract. It boasts a range of 1,000 miles and measures 39 feet long by 6.5 feet wide, making it the biggest unmanned submersible ever operated by a European navy. But it still fits into a standard 40ft shipping container, making it easier to transport. Batteries will be carried in packs down each side of the sub and it features two pressurised compartments to carry computing and control equipment. The compartments are separated by a central storage bay which could carry mines, deployable sensors and smaller underwater drones. Excalibur will have deeper diving capabilities than any of the Navy's manned subs and is designed to allow the storage section to be doubled if necessary. For example, extra room could be added to store more batteries to extend the amount of time it can spend at sea. The Royal Navy said testing of the craft will strengthen 'efforts to remain ahead of potential foes beneath the waves, safeguarding key infrastructure, protecting British and allied ships and submarines and gathering intelligence'. Excalibur is expected to influence the design of a hunter killer submarine which will be built as part of the Aukus security pact with Australia and the US, with representatives from both countries attending its launch last week. The new 'drone' subs will supplement the Proteus, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship used to launch smaller underwater surveillance vessels and devices which was launched in 2023. The Government's defence plans are also set to put forward the idea of an increased role for private investment. This could encourage global tech companies to help fund the protection of the cables - which are vital to their business - with radars, sensors and underwater vehicles. Defence Secretary John Healey last week announced the establishment of a Defence Industrial Joint Council, which will coordinate public-private investment. The council will is set to meet for the first time in June.
