Mental health patients left in limbo, says Labor

At the same time, the state is opening its replacement three bed mother and baby service at the Royal Hobart Hospital, which replaces the eight bed mother and baby service at St Helens.

Unions have said closure of St Helen's Private, in Hobart, means Tasmania loses 50 per cent of its available mental health services.

The Health Department has acknowledged that "closure of the hospital has created a challenge for people who have been receiving care there".

"For most people this does not mean a change in their treatment team, just a change of location."

Meanwhile, Right to Information documents (RTI) sourced by Labor, show that the government may have known about the closure for at least five months before Healthscope announced its intention to close last month.

The documents show that there has been no correspondence between the facilities operator, Healthscope, and the government between January and May this year.

Labor leader Rebecca White challenged the government on its performance in the mental health space.

"You clearly did not make any offer of temporary supports until an alternative could be found, no offer to assist them to find the capital upgrades they needed, or new premises to operate from," Ms White said.

"You've known about the need for more mental health beds for more than a decade and instead of doing something about it have overseen cuts to bed numbers," she said.

"You've known about the closure of St. Helens for months and done nothing. After 10 years of mental health services getting worse and worse."

Labor's RTI documents ask for any correspondence regarding concerns about ongoing viability of St Helens.

The RTI officer responded that "all reasonable steps have been taken to find the information referred to in your request, however the search found no information".

Premier Jeremy Rockliff rejected the politics of Labor.

"I've said time and time again how disappointed I am in the closure, and of the decision by Healthscope to close," Mr Rockliff said.

"We have been working...through these matters on a very, very regular basis," he said.

"As a government we could not be more proactive when it comes to investment in mental health services across Tasmania."

Healthscope conducted a review on the future of St Helen's Private which showed that a multi-million dollar investment was needed to fix safety issues with the roof, electrical systems and hydraulics.

The department said it is a "land-locked, ageing, heritage-listed building that was built in the 1800's", which is not fit for providing health care services.

Labor health spokeswoman Anita Dow said nothing had been done to alleviate patient concerns.

"For years, the minority Liberal Government has been promising more mental health beds but we are still waiting," she said.

"As a result, Tasmania has the worst result of any state for mental health patients being seen within the clinically recommended timeframes."

Regarding the interim solution for mother and their babies at the Royal Hobart Hospital, Mr Rockliff said it continued to work on a longer term solution.

"We recognise the importance of this service to Tasmanian families, which is why we have acted quickly to establish a public Mother and Baby Unit for mothers experiencing mental health challenges," Mr Rockliff said.

"Following the closure of St Helen's Private Hospital, the Department of Health continues to work with stakeholders, including private providers and primary care services, to establish a comprehensive model of care for mothers and babies.

"Recognising that hospital settings are not always the most suitable place for care to be delivered, this work includes the development of a community-based model that emphasises primary care and early intervention, to ensure families can access support in their community and closer to home where appropriate."

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