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TASMANIA

Over half a million (515,000) or 2.2% of Australia’s population live in Tasmania with 42.6% living in Greater Hobart.¹

KEY FACTS — PEOPLE 15 YEARS AND OVER

• In 2013-14, 85.4% of Tasmanians saw a general practitioner (GP) in the previous 12 months and almost three-quarters (74.4%) received a prescription for medication.
• In Tasmania, 8.0% of people saw an after hours GP. While 10.7% of Tasmanians needed to see an after hours GP, over a quarter (25.2%) of these people did not see one at all when needed.
• Over one-third (36.4%) of people in Tasmania saw a medical specialist in the previous 12 months. While 40.4% of people needed to see a medical specialist, almost a tenth (9.6%) of these people did not see one at all when needed.
• Over a quarter (28.1%), of Tasmanian residents who saw a medical specialist reported they waited longer than they felt acceptable to get an appointment.
• In Tasmania, two in five (43.1%) people saw a dental professional in the previous 12 months. While over half (55.5%) of Tasmanians needed to see a dental professional, 22.5% of these people did not see one at all when needed.
• Nearly one in seven (13.9%) Tasmanians were admitted to hospital in the previous 12 months.
• Almost one in six (16.5%) Tasmanians visited a hospital emergency department in the previous 12 months.
• In Tasmania, 16.3% of people saw three or more health professionals for the same condition, with 16.7% of these people reporting they experienced issues caused by a lack of communication between health professionals.

• Tasmanians were more likely to see a GP in the previous 12 months than all Australians (85.4% compared with 82.2%).
• A similar proportion of people in Tasmania received a prescription for medication compared with all Australians (74.4% compared with 68.9%).
• In Tasmania, a similar proportion of people saw a medical specialist in the last 12 months compared with all of Australia (36.4% compared with 36.2%).
• Tasmanians were less likely to see a dental professional compared with all Australians (43.1% compared with 49.7%).
• Tasmanians were more likely to visit a hospital emergency department in the previous 12 months compared with all Australians (16.5% compared with 14.3%).
• In 2013-14, results were similar for those who saw three or more health professionals for the same condition in Tasmania compared with all of Australia (16.3% compared with 16.1%). The proportion of people who reported experiencing issues caused by a lack of communication between health professionals was also similar (16.7% compared with 14.3%).