The Tasmanian Liberal Government will step in and establish a dedicated Mother and Baby Unit within the public health system, following Healthscope’s decision to close the St Helen’s Private Hospital in Hobart.
The Mother and Baby Unit will be located at the Royal Hobart Hospital’s Ward K6 Transition to Home Unit in the West Wing of the new K block.
The new service is expected to be operational by mid-June – ahead of the closure of the St Helen’s Private Hospital at the end of June – to ensure continuity of care for those utilising the service.
The Unit will provide three dedicated public beds in a separate, nurturing environment, offering holistic support, education and services to help families navigate the challenges of parenthood.
The paediatric ward at the RHH, located in the East Wing, will also continue to provide vital services to care for infants, and we are working to streamline admission processes to ensure they are seamless and stress-free for families who require care.
The public Mother and Baby Unit will accommodate mothers experiencing psychiatric conditions such as postnatal depression and anxiety.
Other admissions – for example, those who are experiencing physical maternal exhaustion and those who are experiencing physical issues such as feeding and settling – will be accommodated in the RHH paediatric ward and other alternative settings that can provide a more home-like atmosphere.
Premier, Minister for Health and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Jeremy Rockliff, said that the Government recognised the importance of the service to Tasmanian families.
“We know how vital the Mother and Baby Unit is for Tasmanian families which is why we have worked hard to find a solution to ensure that mothers and their infants who need it can access this type of care and support in the most appropriate setting,” Premier Rockliff said.
“While we are disappointed by Healthscope’s decision to close St Helen’s Private Hospital, we are taking all proactive steps to minimise the impact on patients, and continuity of care for those using the service is an absolute priority for us.
“We are working with Healthscope and health unions to develop a staffing and governance model for the new service to ensure those staff who wish to work within the public health system following the closure of St Helen’s Private Hospital are given the opportunity to do so.
“As a government, we are committed to providing mothers and their infants with a suite of healthcare options to best meet their needs, and the establishment of the Mother and Baby Unit within the RHH is just the starting point.”
The Tasmanian Health Service is continuing to work with other non-government providers to meet the impact of this closure on other mental health services, including TMS, ECT, alcohol and drug treatment inpatient services and day programs.
We will continue to update Tasmanians as we work through our plan to ensure continuity of services.
