Concerns are mounting over reports that Hobart Private Hospital may close its maternity ward, with the Greens warning such a move could overwhelm Tasmania’s public maternal health services.
Health spokesperson Cecily Rosol described the potential closure of Healthscope’s maternity unit, which delivers 600 babies annually, due to staffing issues as “seriously concerning”.
“Despite their best efforts to care for patients, midwives in the public system are already struggling,” she said.
“The ANMF reported last year that the staffing levels at the Royal Hobart Hospital Maternity Unit were unsafe and it meant that midwives couldn’t provide the frequent and tailored care needed for mothers and their babies.”
While acknowledging the role of private hospitals in supporting public healthcare, Rosol criticised their “primary motivation” as being “profits, not patients”.
“There’s a serious risk that if the Hobart Private Hospital closes its maternity ward that the public system just won’t cope with the additional patients,” she said.
Healthscope has not confirmed the closure, saying they don’t “have anything to announce at this time”.
Health Minister Felix Ellis said the operator is required to provide six months’ notice to the Department of Health regarding any service changes, which has not yet occurred.
“I’m not going to speculate, but I know that the Department and the Minister have been working closely with the company,” he said.
“And we want to make sure that mums and bubs have the best possible service in Tasmania and when the private sector and the public sector work closely together, we can get some good outcomes.”
