Brisbane hospital to build new mothers’ mental health facility

Mothers struggling with mental health will get the help they need when a new $18 million facility opens in Brisbane.

The Mater Hospital plans to build a peri-natal mental health unit on the site of the Sisters of Mercy Convent building in South Brisbane. File picture: iStock

Mums battling mental health after the birth of their babies will get the help they need at a new state-of-the-art facility planned at the Mater Mother’s Hospital.

The project is still in its early stages but the Mater Foundation is well on track after raising $13 million of the expected $17.6 million cost.

The historic Sisters of Mercy Convent, on the hospital’s South Brisbane headquarters, will be

converted into a three-level facility.

Architects Conrad Gargett have been engaged to draw up plans for the “adaptive reuse’’ of the 1926 convent and 1932-era kitchen.

There will be 10 new mother/baby beds, associated support facilities and spaces.

Artist's impression of the proposed mother's unit at the Mater hospital site in South Brisbane.

An extension of the convent and surrounding carparking will be demolished, as well as minor internal demolition works to existing walls, doors and windows.

A development application for the “change of use’’ was recently submitted to Brisbane City

Council.

Mater Medical Director Mother’s, Babies and Women’s Health Services, Mike Beckmann, said suicide was the leading cause of maternal death during pregnancy and in the first year after birth.

“Research suggests up to 16 to 20 per cent of women experience clinically significant mental

health issues in the peri-natal period,’’ Dr Beckmann said.

“In some cases, the symptoms are severe enough that the health of the mother, baby and family unit may be at risk.” Dr Beckmann said.

Mater Senior Manager, Young Adult and Mental Health Services, Greg McGahan, said Mater

aimed to develop a centre of excellence for mothers and their babies focusing on the “best

start’’ for all during the early years of life.

“With Mater Mother’s Hospital being the largest public/private obstetric hospital in Australia,

Mater is well-positioned to host a dedicated, onsite service to support the mental health concerns of birthing women and their families,” he said.

Mater Foundation, Executive Director, Andrew Thomas, said peri-natal depression and anxiety

could take a heavy toll on families.

“With treatment, the social health and wellbeing benefits are enormous and can last a lifetime,” he said.

“We thank those who have kindly pledged their support for this great initiative.”

Historical photo of the Duncombe building at the Mater site.

The project is part of a larger redevelopment which includes demolition of the Duncombe Building where generations of Queenslanders were born.

Other buildings along the hospital’s western boundary will also be redeveloped as part of a Mater Hospital Master Plan.

The Duncombe Building and the other buildings around it cannot be brought up to modern safety standards and cannot be retrofitted to meet modern requirements for elevators and operating theatres.

Mater moves admin to Newstead

Aerial view of the Mater Hospital site in South Brisbane.

The 1960-era Duncombe building, then known as the Mater Mother’s Hospital, was decommissioned in 2008 and the current maternity hospital was then opened.

“None of the proposed buildings (to be demolished) are heritage listed infrastructure,’’ Congrad Gargett said in development application documents.

“Health building requirements have also changed, making this building obsolete and unable to comply with modern health facility design guidelines.

The Sisters of Mercy order set up a maternity hospital in 1906 at North Quay before it moved to the current site in 1910.