Tas patients need interstate care, Vic doctor says

A Victorian neurosurgeon is calling for the Tasmanian Government to negotiate for some patients to be treated interstate until the state's specialist shortage can be resolved.

Dr Richard Bittar visits Launceston monthly to see patients having trouble getting a consultation with local neurosurgeons.

He treats Tasmanian patients in Melbourne and says the Government should look at a formal arrangement with Victoria until more specialists can be recruited.

Dr Bittar says an increasing number of Tasmanians need treatment interstate but many are being turned away.

Peter Hodges, who had a spinal injury, was refused treatment at the Royal Hobart Hospital as a veterans affairs patient, and was told to join the public waiting list.

He sought treatment in Victoria but was forced to wait for 12 months after being turned away by Melbourne's Alfred Hospital.

"[They] would not give him operating time to operate on a Tasmanian patient and they think we should get it done over here," Dr Bittar said.

The hospital says like Tasmania, it has its own waiting lists to deal with.

Dr Bittar says long waiting times for operations prolong the pain for patients and their families.

"They often can't go to work because of their pain so it has a financial impact on them, their family and the community," he said.

"I've had a couple of cases where patients threaten suicide and made serious suicide threats because of the extreme distress they were in in waiting."

Chief executive of the Royal Hobart, Dr John Menzies, says the current system is sufficient for Tasmania.