Tasmanian health officials face criticism over new mother-baby unit plan

The Royal Hobart Hospital’s mother-baby unit, opened in 2023 to replace the private St Helen’s facility, will close at the end of the year, prompting worries that mothers with complex mental-health needs may fall through the system. A newly planned Intensive Residential Parenting Unit at St Johns Park will operate under the Child and Health Parenting Service, which lacks the specialised mental-health expertise of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Service that currently runs the unit.

Health staff have been told the new unit will only serve mothers who are "psychologically well" and experiencing low to moderate post-natal depression or anxiety, limiting its ability to handle severe cases such as bipolar disorder or post-natal psychosis. The health department insists the new model will provide the same range of support, but clinicians describe the claim as inaccurate and fear it could increase risks of maternal suicide or infant harm. The Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation, through secretary Emily Shepherd, has highlighted the significant reduction in perinatal mental-health capability and urged the government to keep an acute service open for severely ill mothers.