❓ This parliamentary question and answer concern the provision of mental health services for older adults from regional Western Australia, specifically focusing on their admission to Perth metropolitan hospitals due to the lack of dedicated regional facilities. The answer details admission locations, assessment processes, and average length of stay.
AnsweredQoN 1653Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to my previous Questions Without Notice 230 and 312 referencing the absence of any structural, dedicated inpatient older age mental health units outside of the Perth Metropolitan area, and I ask:(a) on what specific hospital wards are regional older adults experiencing mental health issues admitted to in Perth, and what triage assessments are applied on admission; and(b) in the 2024/2025 financial year, what was the average time from admission to discharge for regional older adults experiencing mental health issues relocated to Metropolitan Western Australia hospitals?
I refer to my previous Questions Without Notice 230 and 312 referencing the absence of any structural, dedicated inpatient older age mental health units outside of the Perth Metropolitan area, and I ask:
(a) on what specific hospital wards are regional older adults experiencing mental health issues admitted to in Perth, and what triage assessments are applied on admission; and
(b) in the 2024/2025 financial year, what was the average time from admission to discharge for regional older adults experiencing mental health issues relocated to Metropolitan Western Australia hospitals?
I refer to my previous Questions Without Notice 230 and 312 referencing the absence of any structural, dedicated inpatient older age mental health units outside of the Perth Metropolitan area, and I ask:
(a) on what specific hospital wards are regional older adults experiencing mental health issues admitted to in Perth, and what triage assessments are applied on admission; and
(b) in the 2024/2025 financial year, what was the average time from admission to discharge for regional older adults experiencing mental health issues relocated to Metropolitan Western Australia hospitals?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
16 June 2026
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health
Response time
5 days
(a) The WA Country Health Service can accommodate older adult mental health patients in general hospitals and multipurpose sites, including in general surgical and adult mental health units, where clinically appropriate. Where patients are higher acuity and require a tertiary level of service, they will be transferred to a metropolitan older adult mental health facility.
Admission location and pathways are determined regarding patients’ clinical needs, age, cognitive status, physical health, risk profile, service availability and specialist treatment needs. Regional older adult patients may be admitted to general medical wards, or an adult or older adult mental health inpatient ward at:
· Armadale Hospital
· Bentley Hospital
· St John of God Midland Public Hospital
· Fremantle Hospital
· Rockingham General Hospital
· Osborne Lodge
· Selby Lodge
When presenting to an emergency department, or transferred via the Royal Flying Doctors Service, the older adult patient is assessed by the emergency department medical team and mental health liaison staff prior to admission.
On occasions, older adult mental health wards accept direct transfers. Prior to admission a consultant will complete a virtual assessment to confirm the older adult is medically stable.
(b) Older adult mental health patients may have a range of conditions, increasing their complexity and length of stay. In the 2024/25 financial year, the average time from admission to discharge for regional older adults experiencing mental health issues in a Perth metropolitan hospital was 40 days accounting for a higher acuity of care required.
Admission location and pathways are determined regarding patients’ clinical needs, age, cognitive status, physical health, risk profile, service availability and specialist treatment needs. Regional older adult patients may be admitted to general medical wards, or an adult or older adult mental health inpatient ward at:
· Armadale Hospital
· Bentley Hospital
· St John of God Midland Public Hospital
· Fremantle Hospital
· Rockingham General Hospital
· Osborne Lodge
· Selby Lodge
When presenting to an emergency department, or transferred via the Royal Flying Doctors Service, the older adult patient is assessed by the emergency department medical team and mental health liaison staff prior to admission.
On occasions, older adult mental health wards accept direct transfers. Prior to admission a consultant will complete a virtual assessment to confirm the older adult is medically stable.
(b) Older adult mental health patients may have a range of conditions, increasing their complexity and length of stay. In the 2024/25 financial year, the average time from admission to discharge for regional older adults experiencing mental health issues in a Perth metropolitan hospital was 40 days accounting for a higher acuity of care required.
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