Hon Helen Morton's question seeks detailed data on waiting times for community mental health services in WA, broken down by location, profession, agency and service type. The answer provides general waiting time guidelines and statewide data, but lacks specific details requested, noting data collection is underway in South Metropolitan area.

AnsweredQoN 3694Legislative Council
Asked
28 June 2006
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the accessibility of community mental health staff and support services in Western Australia. Will the Minister indicate -
(1) The waiting times for access to community mental health staff by -
(a) community mental health centre in Western Australia; and
(b) professional group at each centre?
(2) The waiting times for access to community mental health support services by -
(a) agency; and
(b) service type provided by each agency?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
22 August 2006
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Health
Response time
55 days
(b) professional group at each centre?
(b) service type provided by each agency?
· 'Emergency' referrals are followed up as soon as possible and, generally, within 2 to 4 hours through an Emergency Response team or staff on Emergency after-hours roster in the metropolitan area. In some rural and remote areas where a 24-hour service is not available, patients attend the nearest Emergency Department and mental health staff respond the following working day. · 'Urgent' referrals are followed up within 72 hours by the most appropriate clinician. · 'General' routine referrals are followed up within one week by the most appropriate clinician following an intake meeting attended by a multidisciplinary team. · Data available from the clinical information system indicates that at a statewide level for 2005/06, over 80% of first contacts with patients by the public community mental health centre were made either on the day or one day after a referral was logged. Note: The South Metropolitan Mental Health Services have commenced collecting more specific data on waiting times for routine non-urgent appointments by location and by professional group, however this data is not yet available.
· 'Urgent' referrals are followed up within 72 hours by the most appropriate clinician. · 'General' routine referrals are followed up within one week by the most appropriate clinician following an intake meeting attended by a multidisciplinary team. · Data available from the clinical information system indicates that at a statewide level for 2005/06, over 80% of first contacts with patients by the public community mental health centre were made either on the day or one day after a referral was logged. Note: The South Metropolitan Mental Health Services have commenced collecting more specific data on waiting times for routine non-urgent appointments by location and by professional group, however this data is not yet available.
· 'General' routine referrals are followed up within one week by the most appropriate clinician following an intake meeting attended by a multidisciplinary team. · Data available from the clinical information system indicates that at a statewide level for 2005/06, over 80% of first contacts with patients by the public community mental health centre were made either on the day or one day after a referral was logged. Note: The South Metropolitan Mental Health Services have commenced collecting more specific data on waiting times for routine non-urgent appointments by location and by professional group, however this data is not yet available.
· Data available from the clinical information system indicates that at a statewide level for 2005/06, over 80% of first contacts with patients by the public community mental health centre were made either on the day or one day after a referral was logged. Note: The South Metropolitan Mental Health Services have commenced collecting more specific data on waiting times for routine non-urgent appointments by location and by professional group, however this data is not yet available.
Note: The South Metropolitan Mental Health Services have commenced collecting more specific data on waiting times for routine non-urgent appointments by location and by professional group, however this data is not yet available.

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