Mental Health Hospital in Home service improving patient care

Jeremy Rockliff,Minister for Mental Health & Wellbeing

The Hodgman majority Liberal Government’s Mental Health Hospital in the Home service is reducing hospital admissions at the Royal Hobart Hospital and has had a positive impact on patient flow.

In its first three months, from March to June this year, the new service had 36 admissions and 29 discharges, with the average length of admission being 21.5 days.

This is allowing people in an acute phase of mental illness, who otherwise may have had to be admitted to hospital, to now receive intensive, evidence-based short-term support in a more comfortable home environment.

Importantly, this service is improving patient care, and I’m advised that feedback from patients, carers, and family during the first few months has been very positive, with patients particularly expressing appreciation for this different approach to their care.

The service operates with extended hours, seven days a week, and the intensity of treatment varies depending on individual need. The service is currently operating eight ‘beds’ in patients’ homes, and we will be scaling up to 12 beds as soon as possible.

We are committed to providing Tasmanians with the very best mental health care possible, which includes the right mix of prevention, early intervention, community-based care and acute hospital-based care, through our $104 million mental health plan.

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