The Hobart Clinic, which employs 100 people, will close its inpatient site by the end of October, citing financial woes.<\/p>\n
Dr Lake is leading a team of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, allied health professionals and other stakeholders, including health union HACSU and corporate advisers the Australian Medical Association in the bid.<\/p>\n
They are calling on the state government to reinstate about $2 million in immediate bridge funding to allow the Hobart Clinic to remain open for another six months while they come up with a new funding model.<\/p>\n
Dr Lake worked at the Hobart Clinic from 2017 until late 2023 and was clinical director for the past three years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She told the ABC that her group was “looking to save private psychiatric services in southern Tasmania”.<\/p>\n
Dr Lake said that prior to the closure of Hobart’s St Helen’s Private Hospital two years ago, private psychiatric services in southern Tasmania had 66 inpatient beds compared with 99 psychiatric beds in the public system.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dr Lake is at the forefront of the rescue bid for the clinic. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Closure of the Hobart Clinic would mean there were no private beds in southern Tasmania.<\/p>\n
“It’s very clear that the public system cannot absorb that number of patients and cannot cater to that amount of need,” she said.<\/p>\n
The closure of the 27-bed Hobart Clinic was announced in mid-September.<\/p>\n
All patients will be forced to leave by October 17, with the Rokeby facility expected to close at the end of this month.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Rokeby facility is due to shut at the end of this month. (ABC News: Kate Nickels)<\/p>\n
Issue ‘within the capable hands’ of health minister: Abetz<\/p>\n
Dr Lake said she was concerned that if the clinic shut completely, it would not be possible to restore the service.<\/p>\n
“There’s an excellent stable of nursing staff at the Hobart Clinic \u2014 some of the best psychiatric nurses I’ve ever worked with \u2014 that are committed to providing care to their patients and have stayed there through all of the difficulties that the clinic’s had, because of their high level of commitment to the patients,” she said.<\/p>\n
If you or anyone you know needs help:Suicide Call Back Service<\/a> on 1300 659 467Lifeline<\/a> on 13 11 14Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis support line 13YARN<\/a>\u00a0on 13 92 76Kids Helpline<\/a> on 1800 551 800Beyond Blue<\/a> on 1300 224 636Headspace<\/a> on 1800 650 890ReachOut<\/a> at au.reachout.com<\/a>MensLine Australia<\/a> on 1300 789 978QLife 1800 184 527<\/a>“If the clinic fully closes it will be very difficult to get a new service up and running.”<\/p>\n Dr Lake said her team had petitioned the government and held conversations with various ministers.\u00a0<\/p>\n In an outline proposal seen by the ABC, the team is seeking up to $2 million in funding to cover operating costs for six months, plus up to $400,000 for the preparation of a business case and a feasibility study to develop a robust model for the future.<\/p>\n “The amount of money we’re asking for is not very much,” she said.<\/p>\n “It’s really a reinstatement of that support from the government, which was a fee-for-service arrangement.”<\/p>\n The Hobart Clinic is a privately-owned not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee, which is owned by its three shareholder members: Rural Alive and Well, Mental Health Lived Experience Tasmania and Home Base.\u00a0<\/p>\n The clinic’s most recent accounts, for the 2023-24 financial year, show that it had achieved a small profit of $473,280 and had net assets of almost $6 million.<\/p>\n