Maternity services at Hobart Private Hospital will close later this year due to severe staff shortages, hospital operator Healthscope has confirmed.
The last maternity admissions will be accepted on August 13, with the service responsible for delivering about 600 babies each year set to shut down entirely on August 20.
The company is also closing maternity services at Darwin Private Hospital in April.
ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary Emily Shepherd said the union would support affected staff at Hobart Private Hospital.
“It is disappointing that yet again Healthscope have put profit over patient care and sadly it is women and babies that will again be most affected with a reduction in maternity care options for women in the south of the state,” she said.
“It is also a reminder that we cannot rely on outsourcing critical health care to private providers, particularly when contingencies will be difficult to implement and likely disadvantage the individuals who required these services.”
Independent Franklin MP David O’Byrne accused Healthscope of “behaving atrociously” for failing to inform the public and key stakeholders earlier.
The company had stated earlier this week that it had nothing to announce regarding the future of its maternity services.
“The government must pull out all the stops to provide certainty to families,” he said.
“This decision casts doubt on the future of the Hobart Private Hospital site, but it does present an opportunity for the government to return the former Queen Alexandra to public hands and establish a dedicated public women’s hospital.”
