Unions putting pressure on Tas govt to keep Hobart clinic open

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Unions are increasing their pressure on the Tasmanian government to find a way to keep the Hobart clinic open. As the state's only large-scale inpatient mental health facility prepares to shut down, the government's arguing it's a commonwealth responsibility.

Transcript

00:00As the political fight ramps up over the future of the Hobart Clinic's inpatient mental

00:07health facility, the personal impact becomes even more stark.

00:11Everyone's just feeling very defeated and very scared and it's very difficult to feel

00:22valuable and hopeful when you're not being valued.

00:26The 27 bed private clinic is due to shut at the end of this month.

00:31It's the only one of its type in Tasmania.

00:34We've got now the Royal Emergency Department where you have to be presenting the most acute

00:43crisis to be able to receive any kind of medical attention.

00:47As the date draws closer, the reality of a system without the Hobart Clinic is sinking

00:52in.

00:53We're stranded having to look to access care in Melbourne or being left with our psychiatrist

00:58all together down here and it's devastating for everyone.

01:03Unions demanding the state government step in to keep the clinic open for 12 months while

01:07a long term solution is found.

01:09The cost of not taking over the Hobart Clinic will cost far more by the time we have to pay

01:16nurses overtime for double shifts, get in more locum doctors.

01:19The federal government need to step up into this space.

01:23They need to do more of the heavy lifting to address that so that we can find a long term

01:28solution.

01:29And it's not the only part of the health system where the state and federal governments are

01:33at loggerheads.

01:34A new public hospital funding agreement remains up in the air.

01:38Tasmania arguing it will be $670 million worse off over five years.

01:44Other states also sounding the alarm.

01:46The offer that we've gotten from the Commonwealth is lower than the agreed amount from our last

01:52national cabinet meeting.

01:54So we're going backwards, we're not going forwards.

01:56This government is right now making investments in our health system which are making a real

02:00difference in the lives of people.

02:02a public and private health system under growing pressure with real world consequences.

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