HACSU and ANMF worried about future of Hobart Private due to Healthscope’s financial woes

Two big health unions are worried about the future of the Hobart Private Hospital as its owner Healthscope faces mounting debts. Read the latest.

Hobart Private Hospital sign

Healthscope has moved to allay staff fears about the future of the Hobart Private Hospital amid reports it is expected to go into voluntary receivership.

The Health and Community Sector Union and Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation both expressed concerns about the hospital’s financial woes and future.

HACSU Tasmanian secretary Robbie Moore said up to 400 workers were worried about their jobs and the hospital’s future.

“It’s been for sale and obviously now staff are very concerned about reports from interstate that they’re going into voluntary receivership and what that means for them and their job security moving forward,” he said.

“There are genuine fears because we have seen St. Helens closed by Healthscope, and what that meant for mental health patients and child and family services.

“They are getting rid of maternity services shortly and staff are really concerned about what this means for their future and for patients.”

ANMF acting state secretary Phoebe Mansell said members were “disappointed and concerned” about the financial collapse of Healthscope.

“We will be working with them and stakeholders to ensure their hospitals stay open for the community,” she said.

“It is a very worrying time.”

The Australian reported at the weekend that Healthscope would go into voluntary receivership on Monday leaving the future uncertain for 18,000 staff.

It reported that a meeting on Thursday night was told Healthscope owed lenders $1.4bn.

A Healthscope spokesman told the Mercury on Sunday that it was continuing “to engage with our lenders on the best path forward in relation to the company’s debt and sale process.”

“All of our hospitals are operating normally, with the full support of lenders and other stakeholders,” he said.

“Healthscope is open to finding a solution that does not require lenders to assume formal control, but is also prepared if lenders decide to take a more formal path, including the appointment of receivers to complete the current sale process.

“Our management team will remain engaged through each pathway, and maintaining focus on hospital operations, and progressing a sale of the business, following the considerable interest received.”

Mr Moore said the mental health system was “in crisis” since St Helens Hospital closed in June 2023 with the loss of 31 general psychiatric inpatient beds and an eight-bed mother and baby unit.

“Our system has not coped since St Helens closed and with maternity services ending soon, it is not looking good,” he said.

“There is no way that Tasmanians would be able to get the healthcare they need if Hobart Private was to close too.

“We need the state and federal governments to intervene.”

Hobart Private announced in February that it would close its maternity ward, where about 600 babies are delivered every year, on August 20 due to “ongoing workforce challenges”.

Calvary Hospital said it would accommodate as many maternity patients as possible.

Originally published as HACSU and ANMF worried about future of Hobart Private due to Healthscope’s financial woes