No beds, no plan – Liberals’ North-West mental health crisis

Premier Rockliff and Minister Archer must urgently provide an update on their plan to provide dedicated public mental health beds in the North-West over the next two years while the new, long-awaited mental health facility is being built at the North West Regional Hospital. 

The Government’s failure to put an adequate interim solution in place following the devastating fire at the Spencer Clinic is simply unacceptable. North-West Tasmanians who rely on the services provided by the clinic deserve an update on the interim plan immediately. 

The Spencer Clinic was the North West’s only dedicated public mental health inpatient facility, with all 19 beds occupied when the fire forced its closure.

Those patients have since been dispersed across other hospitals, placing further pressure on a health system already struggling with bed capacity. Dedicated staff have also been dispersed across the hospital. These patients need dedicated and specialised mental health care. 

Labor welcomes the announcement of a construction contract for the new North West Mental Health Precinct, but that won’t be completed until 2028 and does nothing to address the immediate need. The Liberals track record on fast tracking health projects in our region speaks for itself.

Will the inpatient arrangement with the North West private hospital continue and community based mental health services be increased? 

Regional Tasmanians should not have to travel across the state or compete for beds in already stretched local hospitals to receive the mental health care they need. 

Tasmanians deserve better, but with a Liberal Government cutting $700 million from a health system already at breaking point people are going to fall through the cracks.