❓ Ljiljanna Ravlich questions Helen Morton about delays to the mental health quality assurance framework and Mental Health Act amendments. Morton explains the delays are due to the establishment of the Mental Health Commission and the need to redefine roles and responsibilities.
AnsweredQoN 134Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
MENTAL HEALTH — QUALITY ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK
I refer to the tender issued by the Department of Health on behalf of the Mental Health Commission for provision of advice to inform the quality assurance framework for mental health in WA. (1) When will the quality assurance framework for mental health be finalised? (2) Why has the minister not advised the mental health sector that changes to the existing Mental Health Act have been postponed pending agreement of appropriate roles and responsibilities in mental health? (3) What are those roles and responsibilities in mental health when agreement has not yet been reached? (4) When will the minister advise the sector of the delay in progressing the new mental health bill? Hon HELEN MORTON
I refer to the tender issued by the Department of Health on behalf of the Mental Health Commission for provision of advice to inform the quality assurance framework for mental health in WA. (1) When will the quality assurance framework for mental health be finalised? (2) Why has the minister not advised the mental health sector that changes to the existing Mental Health Act have been postponed pending agreement of appropriate roles and responsibilities in mental health? (3) What are those roles and responsibilities in mental health when agreement has not yet been reached? (4) When will the minister advise the sector of the delay in progressing the new mental health bill? Hon HELEN MORTON
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for raising this question. It gives me an opportunity to again talk at length about what is happening in this area. Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
(1) When will the quality assurance framework for mental health be finalised? (2) Why has the minister not advised the mental health sector that changes to the existing Mental Health Act have been postponed pending agreement of appropriate roles and responsibilities in mental health? (3) What are those roles and responsibilities in mental health when agreement has not yet been reached? (4) When will the minister advise the sector of the delay in progressing the new mental health bill? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for raising this question. It gives me an opportunity to again talk at length about what is happening in this area. Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
(2) Why has the minister not advised the mental health sector that changes to the existing Mental Health Act have been postponed pending agreement of appropriate roles and responsibilities in mental health? (3) What are those roles and responsibilities in mental health when agreement has not yet been reached? (4) When will the minister advise the sector of the delay in progressing the new mental health bill? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for raising this question. It gives me an opportunity to again talk at length about what is happening in this area. Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
(3) What are those roles and responsibilities in mental health when agreement has not yet been reached? (4) When will the minister advise the sector of the delay in progressing the new mental health bill? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for raising this question. It gives me an opportunity to again talk at length about what is happening in this area. Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
(4) When will the minister advise the sector of the delay in progressing the new mental health bill? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for raising this question. It gives me an opportunity to again talk at length about what is happening in this area. Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for raising this question. It gives me an opportunity to again talk at length about what is happening in this area. Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
I thank the honourable member for raising this question. It gives me an opportunity to again talk at length about what is happening in this area. Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
(1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
(1) When will the quality assurance framework for mental health be finalised? (2) Why has the minister not advised the mental health sector that changes to the existing Mental Health Act have been postponed pending agreement of appropriate roles and responsibilities in mental health? (3) What are those roles and responsibilities in mental health when agreement has not yet been reached? (4) When will the minister advise the sector of the delay in progressing the new mental health bill? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for raising this question. It gives me an opportunity to again talk at length about what is happening in this area. Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
(2) Why has the minister not advised the mental health sector that changes to the existing Mental Health Act have been postponed pending agreement of appropriate roles and responsibilities in mental health? (3) What are those roles and responsibilities in mental health when agreement has not yet been reached? (4) When will the minister advise the sector of the delay in progressing the new mental health bill? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for raising this question. It gives me an opportunity to again talk at length about what is happening in this area. Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
(3) What are those roles and responsibilities in mental health when agreement has not yet been reached? (4) When will the minister advise the sector of the delay in progressing the new mental health bill? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for raising this question. It gives me an opportunity to again talk at length about what is happening in this area. Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
(4) When will the minister advise the sector of the delay in progressing the new mental health bill? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for raising this question. It gives me an opportunity to again talk at length about what is happening in this area. Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for raising this question. It gives me an opportunity to again talk at length about what is happening in this area. Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
I thank the honourable member for raising this question. It gives me an opportunity to again talk at length about what is happening in this area. Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
Hon Kate Doust : It’s question time, not ministerial statement time. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Why don’t you just answer the question. I know what is happening. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
The PRESIDENT : Order! I think members know the standing orders; questions are required to be concise. It is fair that the answer should be as concise as the question. Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
Hon HELEN MORTON : Of course, I do not have the opportunity of seeing the five or six questions Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich asked, but I know a fair bit about the work that is taking place around the new Mental Health Act and the issue of the quality assurance framework. (1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
(1)–(4) First of all, the review of the Mental Health Act has been going on since about 2004. Enormous amounts of consultation have been undertaken by both the previous government and this government to try to bring the new mental health bill to fruition. One of the complicating factors for it not being ready now is that we established a Mental Health Commission, which must also be incorporated into the act. Given there is now an environment that includes the Mental Health Commission, some of the work done before must now be redone. That is taking place at the moment. The situation with the quality assurance framework is exactly the same. The framework spans the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, the Mental Health Review Board, the Council of Official Visitors, other agencies and parts of the system that have a responsibility to ensure that quality services are provided and that complaint mechanisms are in place. Once again, work that had been previously done on this was done in an environment in which there was not a commission. Some of the wording in the act that describes the role of the Chief Psychiatrist, for example, more appropriately now fits with the role of the Mental Health Commission and some of it fits more specifically with the role of a service provider such as the Department of Health. That work is being undertaken at the moment to try to suss out which of those functions and roles should stay with the service provider or the commission and which should go with an independent authority such as the Council of Official Visitors that has the responsibility for reporting directly to the Parliament. The Mental Health Review Board is another element of that. Of course, that board is not required currently under the act to provide an annual report, but I think it should. Those issues are also being looked at. Therefore, a number of things are taking place. When is it going to be finished? I can assure the member that the new Mental Health Act will be in place before mid-2012.
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