Royal Hobart Hospital

Public maternity hospital in Hobart, TAS

Royal Hobart Hospital is a public maternity hospital in Hobart, TAS. It has a neonatal intensive care unit and a birth centre. Public maternity care is funded through Medicare, so there is usually little or nothing to pay for the birth or the stay. It is one of 6 maternity hospitals listed in Tasmania.

At a glance

  • Type Public maternity hospital
  • Location Hobart, TAS 7000
  • Level Level 6 Tertiary
  • Neonatal intensive care Yes, this hospital has a NICU
  • Birth centre Yes

What public maternity care means here

Public maternity care is funded through Medicare, so there is usually little or nothing to pay. Your care is provided by the hospital team rather than by one doctor you have chosen, and midwives lead care for most healthy pregnancies, with obstetricians involved when something needs specialist input.

Most public hospitals take women from a defined catchment, so where you live usually decides which hospital you book into. Your GP writes a referral and you book in early, often before twelve weeks, because the popular care models fill fast.

What it costs

For a public birth as a public patient there is typically no cost for the birth itself, the hospital stay, or your antenatal appointments at the hospital. Costs that can still arise are scans and blood tests billed privately, and anything you choose to add.

Work out your likely out-of-pocket costs.

Care models you may be able to access

  • Standard public hospital care, where you see the hospital team and meet whoever is rostered on for the birth
  • Midwifery group practice, where one midwife follows you through pregnancy, birth and the early weeks. Places are limited and go early
  • GP shared care, where most appointments are with your own GP and the rest at the hospital
  • Team midwifery, where a small group of midwives share your care

Compare how the care pathways differ.

This hospital has a neonatal intensive care unit

A NICU cares for babies who are very premature or very unwell, which means a baby born here who needs that level of care can usually stay in the same place as you. Hospitals without one transfer babies who need intensive care, sometimes to another city. It is worth knowing about, and worth saying plainly that most babies never need it.

This hospital has a birth centre

Birth centres are set up for straightforward births, with baths, beds rather than delivery tables, and midwifery-led care, while sitting close enough to the main unit to move quickly if that becomes the safer choice. Places are limited and eligibility usually depends on the pregnancy staying low risk, so a place is never a guarantee.

Questions worth asking

  • Do I live in your catchment, and if not, what are my options?
  • Which care models do you offer, and how early do I need to book for each?
  • Can I tour the birth suite, and when do tours run?
  • What are your rates of induction, caesarean and instrumental birth?
  • What happens if my baby needs more care than you can provide here?
  • Who will be with me during labour, and how often do staff change over?
  • What support is there for feeding and for the first days afterwards?

Other maternity hospitals nearby

6 maternity hospitals are listed in Tasmania.

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