❓ Mr Scaife asks about the Cockburn mental health clinic and its impact on access to mental healthcare, particularly for women and those with eating disorders. The Minister details the clinic's acquisition, bed allocation, specialised services, and broader government investments in mental health.
AnsweredQoN 236Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES — COCKBURN
236. Mr D.A.E. SCAIFE to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
record investment in mental healthcare services.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the 75-bed Cockburn mental health clinic will
expand access to mental healthcare services for Western Australians?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how the clinic will support specialised support for
women and people with an eating disorder?
236. Mr D.A.E. SCAIFE to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
record investment in mental healthcare services.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the 75-bed Cockburn mental health clinic will
expand access to mental healthcare services for Western Australians?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how the clinic will support specialised support for
women and people with an eating disorder?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Cockburn for the question and thank him and Hon Stephen
Pratt, member for South Metropolitan Region, as well as the Premier for joining
us at the Cockburn clinic for the handing over,
if you like, of the clinic to the South Metropolitan Health Service. It was
obviously devastating to hear that
the then Bethesda Clinic was due to close its doors due to some challenges
around private health funding and managing a psychiatric workforce that
is moving away from inpatient care in a private setting. Not one to let a good
opportunity pass us by, there was no way that we could stand by and leave this
beautiful brand new facility empty when we know that there is need in the community.
Within a month, the Cook government provided authorisation for south metro to
sign a three-year lease, essentially taking over the lease of that facility.
That is 75 beds onto the system overnight, which is fantastic. Those beds will
come under south metro, and the vast
majority of staff have transferred over into the public system. Very quickly ,
south metro put out offers of employment to those staff and many of them have
transferred over and remain working at the clinic.
Two floors will be dedicated to women
for inpatient mental health episodes. That is 50 beds, including for eating
disorders for women aged over 16 years. There will be a focus on a range of
services, but eating disorders will absolutely be one of those specialised
areas. The ground floor of 25 beds will be mixed gender for alcohol and drug
addiction withdrawal services. That is an extra 25 beds for supervised medical
withdrawal, which are also significantly in need. These will be available
across the metropolitan area. They will not be limited to the catchment of the
South Metropolitan Health Service. It will work with other metropolitan health
service providers to understand the need and other patients can be referred
into that service.
The
Cook government—and, prior to that, the McGowan government—takes
mental health very seriously , and that is why we have seen a 50 per cent
increase in funding since we have been in government. We are also undertaking
significant reform in the public mental health provision for children, infants
and adolescents. As incoming Minister for Mental Health, I delivered the Final
report—Ministerial taskforce into public mental health services for
infants, children and adolescents aged 0–18 years in WA with the
government accepting all 32 recommendations. Since then, we have implemented 12
new models of care and given more peer support to the workforce. We invested
$46 million to deliver acute care response teams and, importantly, the $31 million
youth eating disorder service. That is an investment of $80 million just for
infants, children and adolescents. The Graylands Hospital reconfiguration is
also an incredibly important reform in mental health, with a $218 million
commitment to forensic mental facilities. Our specialist eating disorder
clinic, which also opened in Cockburn, provides intensive outpatient support
for people experiencing eating disorders. Similar services have opened in the
north metropolitan and east metropolitan regions. Of course, we are increasing
the number of mental health beds at Fiona Stanley Hospital by 40 and adding 102
mental health beds as part of Joondalup Health Campus. This is a serious and
significant investment and uplift in mental health services under this
government. This government will continue to improve access to mental health
services. It will not only improve access but reform those services so that
they are meeting the need and are responsive to our community as we move
forward.
thank the member for Cockburn for the question and thank him and Hon Stephen
Pratt, member for South Metropolitan Region, as well as the Premier for joining
us at the Cockburn clinic for the handing over,
if you like, of the clinic to the South Metropolitan Health Service. It was
obviously devastating to hear that
the then Bethesda Clinic was due to close its doors due to some challenges
around private health funding and managing a psychiatric workforce that
is moving away from inpatient care in a private setting. Not one to let a good
opportunity pass us by, there was no way that we could stand by and leave this
beautiful brand new facility empty when we know that there is need in the community.
Within a month, the Cook government provided authorisation for south metro to
sign a three-year lease, essentially taking over the lease of that facility.
That is 75 beds onto the system overnight, which is fantastic. Those beds will
come under south metro, and the vast
majority of staff have transferred over into the public system. Very quickly ,
south metro put out offers of employment to those staff and many of them have
transferred over and remain working at the clinic.
Two floors will be dedicated to women
for inpatient mental health episodes. That is 50 beds, including for eating
disorders for women aged over 16 years. There will be a focus on a range of
services, but eating disorders will absolutely be one of those specialised
areas. The ground floor of 25 beds will be mixed gender for alcohol and drug
addiction withdrawal services. That is an extra 25 beds for supervised medical
withdrawal, which are also significantly in need. These will be available
across the metropolitan area. They will not be limited to the catchment of the
South Metropolitan Health Service. It will work with other metropolitan health
service providers to understand the need and other patients can be referred
into that service.
The
Cook government—and, prior to that, the McGowan government—takes
mental health very seriously , and that is why we have seen a 50 per cent
increase in funding since we have been in government. We are also undertaking
significant reform in the public mental health provision for children, infants
and adolescents. As incoming Minister for Mental Health, I delivered the Final
report—Ministerial taskforce into public mental health services for
infants, children and adolescents aged 0–18 years in WA with the
government accepting all 32 recommendations. Since then, we have implemented 12
new models of care and given more peer support to the workforce. We invested
$46 million to deliver acute care response teams and, importantly, the $31 million
youth eating disorder service. That is an investment of $80 million just for
infants, children and adolescents. The Graylands Hospital reconfiguration is
also an incredibly important reform in mental health, with a $218 million
commitment to forensic mental facilities. Our specialist eating disorder
clinic, which also opened in Cockburn, provides intensive outpatient support
for people experiencing eating disorders. Similar services have opened in the
north metropolitan and east metropolitan regions. Of course, we are increasing
the number of mental health beds at Fiona Stanley Hospital by 40 and adding 102
mental health beds as part of Joondalup Health Campus. This is a serious and
significant investment and uplift in mental health services under this
government. This government will continue to improve access to mental health
services. It will not only improve access but reform those services so that
they are meeting the need and are responsive to our community as we move
forward.
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