Reports that the Hobart Private Hospital may shut down its maternity ward, potentially overwhelming the public Hobart Hospital’s maternity services, are seriously concerning. It’s yet more evidence that the Liberal Government is over reliant on the private health system to provide essential services to Tasmanians.
Despite their best efforts to care for patients, midwives in the public system are already struggling. 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 private hospital operators provide additional support to the public system, ultimately, their primary motivation is 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.
We’ve already seen the impact that an overreliance on the private health system can have on a community with the closure of the St Helen’s mental health facility. It was a devastating blow for the Tasmanians who relied on it for crucial mental health services.
Again and again the Rockliff Government has ignored the pleas of healthcare professionals for adequate funding. It’s time the Liberals stopped relying on the private healthcare system and properly funded Tasmanian public hospitals.
