There are concerns southern Tasmania’s last remaining private mental health clinic is on shaky ground. The Hobart Clinic has experiences senior staff resignation and financial losses. Concerns come almost a year after another private mental health clinic in Hobart closed its doors.
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00:00 Madison has been diagnosed with bipolar and borderline personality disorder.
00:07 She's been getting help at the Hobart clinic over the past four years.
00:12 But after her last visit, she's worried about her ongoing care.
00:16 It felt like a glorified nursing home in a way.
00:19 There wasn't programs, like all of the programs running due to staffing issues.
00:25 And a lot of the patients you could see were just sort of sitting around doing nothing.
00:30 And that isn't the type of care that you're supposed to go in for.
00:34 The Hobart clinic has been around for 40 years.
00:38 It has 27 beds and offers a range of different therapies.
00:42 But Madison says hardly any therapy programs were running during her recent visit.
00:48 It's the sort of difference that makes me not want to go back to the clinic
00:52 because I don't feel like I'm getting the support I need.
00:54 In a letter sent by the ABC, several doctors at the Hobart clinic wrote to the board of directors in November
01:01 outlining grave concerns that patient care is being undermined.
01:06 Doctors described the changes as risky administration and are calling for an immediate change.
01:12 Since then, the clinical director, three doctors and several nurses have resigned.
01:17 A nurse who previously worked at the Hobart clinic has spoken out.
01:22 To see the deterioration of a once very good clinical service just drove me to the edge.
01:27 They say therapy programs have halved over the last six months due to staffing issues,
01:33 following the appointment in July of a new chief executive who's implementing a new strategic plan.
01:40 There's confusion, poor communication.
01:43 Patients have been passed from one doctor to another and crying to nurses about not feeling safe.
01:48 In a statement, the Hobart clinic said following years of significant financial losses,
01:53 the clinic is moving from an employed psychiatry workforce model to a visiting medical officer psychiatry model.
02:01 It said while acknowledging the transformation is challenging,
02:05 the clinic remains committed to continuing to deliver high quality, trauma informed, patient centred mental health care services.
02:13 I think it's so disappointing that the board of the Hobart clinic didn't listen to those doctors.
02:18 They're doctors that are very experienced in this work, that know the CEO is heading in the wrong direction.
02:24 The closure last year of the St Helens private hospital in Hobart has boosted demand for services at the Hobart clinic.
02:33 We might be referring one or two a week.
02:35 It's always fulfilled that role and particularly since the closure of St Helens last year,
02:40 we've been using it as our sole source of those services.
02:43 Tasmanian doctors fear any reduction in mental health services will significantly affect the overall health care system.
02:51 Our society is going through a massive period of economic and social challenge
02:55 and mental health services are a critical cornerstone to help us move out of that.
03:00 And if we can't provide it, we're really going to struggle as a society.
03:04 For Madison, the changes at the clinic has her considering a move interstate.
03:09 My husband and I have had discussions about potentially looking at moving interstate long term
03:15 so that I'm able to get the consistent care.
03:18 Concerns for the future of the Hobart clinic and its patients.
03:22 [ Silence ]