Hobart to lose 31 mental health beds with closure of St Helen's Private Hospital in June

A private hospital in Hobart is closing in June, leaving the state with 31 fewer mental health beds. Key points: The private hospital has been operating in Hobart since 1919 but the heritage building requires significant investment Operator Healthscope hopes staff will be able to find employment at other Healthscope facilities around the country The closure will mean the loss of 31 mental health beds and an eight-bed mother and baby unit The St Helen's Private Hospital offers drug and alcohol treatment services, 31 inpatient mental health beds, day-patient programs and an eight-bed mother and baby unit for those needing help with sleep and post-natal mental health problems. Tasmanian Premier and Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff said work was underway to make sure people could still access mental health services, despite the closure, and that included setting up a mother and baby unit within the Tasmanian Health Service. Healthscope's national manager for mental health, Adjunct Associate Professor Steven Bernardil, said current patients would get support and information about how to access services in the future.