Experts say a crisis is occurring in Tasmanian emergency departments.

Health unions have reported that psychiatric patients are languishing in the Royal Hobart Hospital’s emergency department (ED) due to a bed shortage.

A spokesperson for the Tasmanian Health Service (THS) has confirmed the RHH is “experiencing a peak in demand for its services” and “in particular, has seen an increase in psychiatric presentations”.

Dr Brian Doyle from the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine says lives are at risk.

“People die when hospitals are overcrowded and you're providing substandard care,” he told the ABC.

With an election looming, Labor has pledged a $250 million health funding boost, and the Liberals $225 million.

Dr Doyle says neither party has explained how the money will be spent.

“Now is the time, now is the crisis, now is when we need the beds,” he said.

“If you look at the number of patients who had to spend more than 24 hours in the emergency department last year, it was over 1,000 people.

“That is crazy, now in Victoria that would be considered a ‘never event’.”

Royal Hobart Hospital Staff Association chair Dr Frank Nicklason agreed that the lack of beds is costing lives.

“We should be able to admit 60 to 70 per cent [of patients in ED] within four hours. We have no chance of doing that,” he told reporters.

“In older patients in particular, if you can get them out quickly, their risk of dying is decreased.”

He says the state needs an extra 200 beds as soon as possible.