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After surviving a stage three breast cancer diagnosis, Wynyard resident Sue Kole thought she had a plan to get her life back on track.
Confronted with the legacy of a double mastectomy, two rounds of chemotherapy, seven weeks of radiation therapy and a further year of additional therapy due to side effects, Ms Kole was finally eligible for reconstructive breast surgery when her treatment ended in 2018.
More than five years later, the 53-year-old is still sitting on a public waiting list to have the procedure at the Launceston General Hospital (LGH) — an almost two-hour drive from home.
"'I've got such poor body image … I can't go to the beach swimming," Ms Kole said.
"I know people stare at me because not only am I flat-chested, but I've been quite disfigured by the surgery as well.
"I can't look in a mirror, I just feel that repulsed by my body."
Ms Kole is now worried she will have to wait even longer for the surgery after plans for a new co-located private hospital in Launceston were thrown into doubt.
Falling at the final hurdle
Seven years ago, private health provider Calvary Health Care placed an unsolicited bid to build a co-located private hospital at the LGH.
But it has now pulled the pin just months before construction was due to start, citing "insurmountable" budget pressures.
According to the project development agreement signed between the state government and Calvary in 2022, the $130 million hospital would have seen the creation of 168 new beds, 10 operating theatres, two procedure rooms and specialist oncology facilities.
Under the agreement, a two-year trial of 24/7 private patient admissions was promised, with the aim of "freeing up capacity", allowing for patients to move between the LGH and the new private hospital.
Calvary had also planned to close its existing smaller hospitals in Launceston, St Luke's and St Vincent's.
The plan represented a key plank in the government's attempt to reduce the elective surgery waitlist and wait times at the LGH.
Recent data showed 3,350 people were waiting for elective surgery at the LGH, the longest waiting list out of all four of the state's major hospitals.
Those seeking elective surgery at the LGH waited an average of 219 days beyond the clinically recommended time for elective surgery.
'Our patients are going to suffer'
The future of St Luke's and St Vincent's hospitals is now under a cloud, with Calvary informing the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation that operations at its two Launceston-based hospitals were under review.
The review has sparked significant concern for the federation's Tasmanian secretary, Emily Shepherd.
"Our view is that there would need to be a continuation of services at both sites, whether they were operated by Calvary Health Care Tasmania or another health care provider," she said.
"The loss of those beds and services in Northern Tasmania is something that would be extremely concerning."
John Saul from the Australian Medical Association said it would be harder to "provide a good quality service" for people living in the state's north.
"We know knees and hips, for example, replacements, over three-quarters of them are usually done in the private system," he said.
"And sadly, this will be lost to the Launceston people."
Dr Saul believes without a private hospital, the LGH will face increased challenges in recruiting skilled doctors who are keen to work across both the public and private systems.
He is concerned the decision will contribute to "increased delays and reduced service levels" as potential new doctors are put off by the uncertainty.
"We're going to have less staff, less doctors. So we're not going to be able to deliver as many services to the people of northern Tasmania.
"Sadly, our patients are going to suffer as a result of this."
In a statement, Calvary Health Care's national chief executive officer Martin Bowles said that Calvary was "committed to remaining part of the region".
"Calvary can assure the northern Tasmanian community that it is business as usual for St Luke's and St Vincent's Hospitals in Launceston while we investigate options to enhance our services."
Before the state election was called, Health Minister Guy Barnett said the Rockliff Liberal government was committed to the private hospital as part of its planned $580 million overhaul of the LGH.
"Our long-term plan … is a co-located hospital here in Launceston next to the LGH," he said.
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