The imminent closure of the Hobart Private Hospital maternity ward is a devasting blow for women’s health in Tasmania.

For pregnant women accessing services at the HPH right now, to hear this in the news would be incredibly devastating and destabilising.

With understaffing remaining a massive issue, maternity services in Tasmania’s public hospitals are already stretched to the limit, and this decision will only increase pressure on the system and lead to worse outcomes for patients.

Access to maternity services is a state government responsibility, and the Rockliff Government must step up to ensure Tasmanian women can continue to have access to safe maternity services across the state – not attempt to point fingers and shift the blame.

This includes taking decisive action on the recommendations put forward by the recent report into Maternity Services at the Royal Hobart Hospital, several of which related to adequate staffing levels and practices.

As Chair of the Parliamentary Committee into Reproductive, Maternal and Paediatric Health Services in Tasmania, which is hearing evidence today, we are hearing about how challenging maternity services are in the state. This closure is a massive blow that will be felt across the system. The Committee has today agreed to ask Healthscope to appear before the committee at our next hearing.

Our thoughts are also with the midwives and other health workers whose jobs could be impacted by this decision.

Ella Haddad MP
Shadow Minister for Health