❓ Hon. Ravlich questions the Minister for Mental Health on the findings of the Stokes report, highlighting concerns about risk assessments, staffing levels, and bed availability. The Minister defends the government's actions and investments in mental health services.
AnsweredQoN 972Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
MENTAL
HEALTH SYSTEM — STOKES REPORT
972. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH to the Minister for Mental
Health:
Given the damning findings of the Stokes report, can the
minister advise the house —
(1) Why did 63 per cent of mental health patients not have
proper risk assessments?
(2) Why are staffing levels in mental health only about half
of what they should be?
(3) Why are there only half the number of mental health beds
that are required across the state?
(4) Why has the minister sat on her hands and done nothing
about these matters?
HEALTH SYSTEM — STOKES REPORT
972. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH to the Minister for Mental
Health:
Given the damning findings of the Stokes report, can the
minister advise the house —
(1) Why did 63 per cent of mental health patients not have
proper risk assessments?
(2) Why are staffing levels in mental health only about half
of what they should be?
(3) Why are there only half the number of mental health beds
that are required across the state?
(4) Why has the minister sat on her hands and done nothing
about these matters?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(4) Thanks
very much, Mr President.
[Interruption.]
Hon HELEN MORTON : I hope that is
not my phone. I do not know whose phone that is, but I do not think it is mine.
The PRESIDENT : It is blowfly
season!
Hon HELEN MORTON : That is right!
Hon Ljiljanna
Ravlich : It's really loud around you, that blowfly!
Hon HELEN MORTON : I thank the
honourable member for asking the question and for the opportunity to talk about
this issue in a bit more detail. The issues she has raised are exactly the
reasons that I asked for this review to be undertaken.
Hon Ljiljanna
Ravlich : No; it was the suicides in Fremantle, and you know it. It was the
suicides in Fremantle. You cannot rewrite the history and you know it.
The PRESIDENT : Order! Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will come to
order, otherwise I may have to take some other action that I do not want to
take.
Hon HELEN MORTON : It is also why no previous government has
been brave enough or had the courage to lay bare the decades of
underinvestment and misplaced investment leading to the situation that we now
have.
Professor Stokes makes it clear that we greatly need improved
investment. Although I understand that some people have not had the opportunity
to read the report for as long as I have, and I have read it a number of times,
Professor Stokes makes it absolutely clear that the area that we need to make
the most investment in is in the community-based services, including
community-based beds such as community-supported residential units and the
homes that we are building and the transition facilities. These are the things
that we have already started on. He also obviously talked about clinical
governance, clinical leadership and the involvement of families. Many of these
things have already been implemented or commenced. The bill that has now been
tabled does a fair bit of that.
I just mention some of the very key issues that this
government has been working on, like the 56 beds for transitional facilities.
We have opened 44 new acute beds since we have been in government, and we have
another 64 in the process of being built. There is the suicide prevention
strategy, which even now I do not think people believe in, but in 2011 we saw
the reduction in the number of suicides by 30 per cent in this state. That
equates to around 100 lives saved. There is the establishment of the community
treatment and assessment teams; teams that previously did not operate.
Previously they only worked from Monday to Friday; they now work seven days a
week until 11 o'clock at night. There is the Statewide Specialist
Aboriginal Mental Health Service. These are all new initiatives, including the
118 beds. Of course, there are the mental health courts. The bill addresses
many of these things. If the member is asking me about a whole range of things
in this report without providing me with the time to give a detailed response,
I am going to give her an overview of just how far this government has gone in
addressing many of the issues that Professor Stokes has already raised.
very much, Mr President.
[Interruption.]
Hon HELEN MORTON : I hope that is
not my phone. I do not know whose phone that is, but I do not think it is mine.
The PRESIDENT : It is blowfly
season!
Hon HELEN MORTON : That is right!
Hon Ljiljanna
Ravlich : It's really loud around you, that blowfly!
Hon HELEN MORTON : I thank the
honourable member for asking the question and for the opportunity to talk about
this issue in a bit more detail. The issues she has raised are exactly the
reasons that I asked for this review to be undertaken.
Hon Ljiljanna
Ravlich : No; it was the suicides in Fremantle, and you know it. It was the
suicides in Fremantle. You cannot rewrite the history and you know it.
The PRESIDENT : Order! Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich will come to
order, otherwise I may have to take some other action that I do not want to
take.
Hon HELEN MORTON : It is also why no previous government has
been brave enough or had the courage to lay bare the decades of
underinvestment and misplaced investment leading to the situation that we now
have.
Professor Stokes makes it clear that we greatly need improved
investment. Although I understand that some people have not had the opportunity
to read the report for as long as I have, and I have read it a number of times,
Professor Stokes makes it absolutely clear that the area that we need to make
the most investment in is in the community-based services, including
community-based beds such as community-supported residential units and the
homes that we are building and the transition facilities. These are the things
that we have already started on. He also obviously talked about clinical
governance, clinical leadership and the involvement of families. Many of these
things have already been implemented or commenced. The bill that has now been
tabled does a fair bit of that.
I just mention some of the very key issues that this
government has been working on, like the 56 beds for transitional facilities.
We have opened 44 new acute beds since we have been in government, and we have
another 64 in the process of being built. There is the suicide prevention
strategy, which even now I do not think people believe in, but in 2011 we saw
the reduction in the number of suicides by 30 per cent in this state. That
equates to around 100 lives saved. There is the establishment of the community
treatment and assessment teams; teams that previously did not operate.
Previously they only worked from Monday to Friday; they now work seven days a
week until 11 o'clock at night. There is the Statewide Specialist
Aboriginal Mental Health Service. These are all new initiatives, including the
118 beds. Of course, there are the mental health courts. The bill addresses
many of these things. If the member is asking me about a whole range of things
in this report without providing me with the time to give a detailed response,
I am going to give her an overview of just how far this government has gone in
addressing many of the issues that Professor Stokes has already raised.
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