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❓ WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding code yellow emergencies (systems overload/hospital bed crises) in mental health services across metropolitan health services, revealing instances of IT, communication, and infrastructure failures.

AnsweredQoN 1839Legislative Council

Asked

21 October 2014

Member

Hon Stephen Dawson

Portfolio

Mental Health

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to question on notice No. 1513, and I ask: (a) were all of the code yellow emergencies listed in the response to question on notice No. 1513(b) due to a "systems overload"; (b) if no to (a), what was each classification; (c) were any code yellow emergencies issued for the following periods: (i) 2013-14; and (ii) 1 July 2014 to date; (d) if yes to (c), what was the date and location; (e) has the South Metropolitan Health Service issued any equivalent code yellow systems overload/hospital bed crises for any mental health service for the following periods: (i) 2010-11; (ii) 2011-12; (iii) 2012-13; (iv) 2013-14; and (v) 1 July 2014 to date; (f) if yes to (e), what were the locations and dates of each; and (g) for the week preceding and the week proceeding each code yellow or equivalent south metropolitan event, how many patients were released on leave to the care of their families and from which facilities?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered

3 December 2014

Responded by

Minister for Mental Health

Response time

43 days

Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS):
(a) No. None were due to systems overload.
(b) PMH site 17/11/2012 - due to paging system failure
PMH whole site 9/1/2013 - due to communication system failure
PMH Site (Psych Med Building only) 3/09/2012 - due to roof leaking
(c)(i) Yes.
PMH whole site 28/10/2013 IT system failure
PMH whole site 05/10/2013 communications system
PMH whole site 12/02/2014 paging
PMH whole site 14/02/2014 IT failure
PMH whole site 15/02/2014 IT failure
PMH whole site 27/03/2014 IT failure
(ii) Yes.
PMH whole site 2/09/2014 IT failure
(d) See above.
(e-g) Not applicable.
North Metropolitan Health Service (NMHS):
(a) No.
Please note, two further code yellow episodes have since been identified in relation to the original PQ 1513. These are for Graylands Hospital / Swan Valley Centre (22/11/2012) and King Edward Memorial Hospital Mother and Baby Unit (May 2012). The health service apologises for this oversight, which was due to human error during the PQ compilation process. The remainder of this PQ answer includes this updated information.
(b) Electricity, communications failure, information technology, power outage. (Systems overload in one case).
(c)(i), (ii) and d) Yes. See below table.
(i) 2013-14
Date
Subiaco (City catchment)
21/03/2014
Stirling Catchment
01 to 03/04/2014
Selby Older Adult Mental Health Unit
27/05/2014
Youth Reach South, NMHS Mental Health
03/06/2014
Inner City (city catchment)
14 to15/06/2014
Joondalup Health Campus / Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital / Swan District Hospital / Graylands Hospital
19/06/2013
Princess Margaret Hospital / King Edward Memorial Hospital
14/02/2014
(ii) 2014-15 (to date)
Date
Subiaco (city catchment)
11/07/2014
Graylands Hospital
08/08/2014
Graylands Hospital
11/08/2014
Joondalup Health Campus / Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital / Swan District Hospital / Graylands Hospital
18/08/2014
Joondalup Health Campus / Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital / Swan District Hospital / Graylands Hospital
13/10/2014
Swan District Hospital
29/10/2014
Princess Margaret Hospital / King Edward Memorial Hospital
02/09/2014
(e-g) Not applicable.
South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS):
(a-d) Not applicable.
(e) (i-iv) Nil recorded.
(v) Yes.
(f) Metropolitan system wide code yellow on 13 October 2014.
(g) None.

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