Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment neglects mental health consumers’ voice

To date the redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital has not adequately engaged with the people who will be most affected- people with mental illness.

“It appears that even setting out with the best intentions of designing a better hospital to meet the needs of patients and hospital staff into the future, mental health consumers have been largely overlooked in the process. For example, they still don’t know the final design, and from a more immediate perspective,how theywill be affected once thebuilding works have commenced,” Miranda Ashby, Executive Officer of Flourish Mental Health Action In Our Hands Inc. stated.

“Flourish Mental Health Action In Our Hands Inc. has been requesting direct engagement of mental health consumers in the design of the temporary mental health facilities for some months now” said Miranda.

Flourish is urgently seeking a meeting with the new Health Minister, Michael Ferguson, MHA, to discuss consumer concerns and needs in the coming months.

Flourish Mental Health Action In Our Hands Inc. is an independent organisation which aims to further the interests and needs of mental health consumers in Tasmania.Flourish seeks to provide a strong voice for the views of mental health consumers in Tasmania, develop people’s capacity to participate meaningfully in society, and experience fair access to quality services which reflect their needs. Flourish is funded by the Department Of Health and Human Services.

http://flourishtas.org.au/
Miranda Ashby, Executive Officer