Mental health advocates have criticised plans to close acute psychiatric beds at the Royal Hobart Hospital, warning it could expose other patients to violence.
The Tasmanian Mental Health Key Stakeholders Consortium, which includes nurses and doctors, said five out of 30 beds were set to close at the hospital.
The Nursing Federation’s Neroli Ellis, who is part of the consortium, said the move was illogical.
“The reduction of five beds without consultation will obviously cause some dire effects,” she said.
“We will see more mental health patients nursed on the acute general medical wards.
“We are seeing now, one of the reasons for the escalating violence on the general wards is that once someone is admitted under an order, but needing medical care, we have got some concerns about staffing levels and the ability to de-escalate in the general ward.
“With the closure of acute mental health beds we will be exposing many more people to that level of concern.”
Ms Ellis also warned there would be a blowout in waiting times.
Consortium member and acting Mental Health Council CEO Elida Meadows said while it did not sound like a lot of beds, it would have a significant impact.
She said Tasmania had a higher rate of mental health bed occupancy than other states.
“It is a significant number of beds, I think it is absolutely the wrong decision and it could have really bad consequences for people with acute mental health issues in Tasmania,” she said.
“If you don’t have the support for people with acute mental health conditions who are in crisis, where are they going to go? What could happen to them?”
The consortium wants to eventually see the provision of more acute and psychiatric care in the community, but said the level of support needed did not yet exist.
“Don’t close the hospital beds before you have put together a viable and sustainable alternative in the community,” Ms Meadows said.
The Health Department has been contacted for comment.