Supporting the health and wellbeing of women in Tasmania is a key priority for the Tasmanian Government.

Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing Guy Barnett said this year’s Women’s Health Week was a great opportunity to start conversations.

“As a government, we are committed to supporting women’s health and ensuring better health outcomes for women and girls across Tasmania,” Minister Barnett said.

“One of the keys to achieving this is our Strong Future Tasmania Plan 2030, which ensures women have better access to health services closer to where they live.

“Earlier this year, we delivered on our commitment to expand our community pharmacy programme to include extended prescriptions for oral contraceptives. This important initiative means that eligible women can now receive a two-year supply of their pills with a single prescription, rather than just a year’s supply.

“This year, we have also made UTI treatment more accessible, with participating pharmacies able to provide assessment and treatment for patients with UTIs. This includes the ability to prescribe antibiotics where appropriate.

“We are also progressing plans for a new $15 million Public Diagnostic Breast Care Centre in Hobart, delivering on a key election commitment. Importantly, this centre will be a one-stop shop, offering a multidisciplinary team approach, supporting improved treatment and care for Tasmanian women.

“Our government also supports women’s health and wellbeing by providing funding to Family Planning Tasmania and Women’s Health Tasmania. These organisations play a critical role in supporting women – particularly those who are at risk of poor health outcomes – and I thank them for their important work.”