Right to Information No.: RTI202324-155

Right to Information No.: RTI202324-155

Date of Decision:          24 October 2023

Information Requested

An application made pursuant to the Right to Information Act 2009 (‘the Act’), received the Department of Health (“the public authority”) on 25 September 2023 and accepted on 3 October 2023. The applicant, pursuant to s15(4)(a) of the Act, agreed to grant an extension on the application for assessed disclosure.

The information requested:

1. The total amount spent on locums and visiting medical officers for each of Tasmania’s four major hospitals during financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23.
2. The total number of locums and visiting medical officers engaged at each of Tasmania’s four major hospitals during financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23.
3. The total number of locums and visiting medical officers engaged at each of Tasmania’s four major hospitals as at 1 July 2023.
4. The highest salary paid to a visiting medical officer during financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23.
5. The average cost per hour of employing locums, as at 1 July 2023.

However, on 3 October 2023, the applicant reduced the scope to:

1. The total amount spent on locums and visiting medical officers for each of Tasmania’s four major hospitals during financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Application Fee

The prescribed application fee was waived in accordance with:

…

s16(2)(b) (the applicant is a is a Member of Parliament acting in connection with his or her official duty).

Decision and Statement of Reasons

I have decided to release the information to you, in full. Please see Annexure 1, attached. 

Annexure 1

Table 1: Medical Locum Costs by Hospital 

Table 2: Visiting Medical Officer Costs by Hospital