❓ Ms. Shaw asks about the new mental health emergency centre at Midland Public Hospital. The Minister outlines the project's funding, capacity, and rationale, highlighting its importance in addressing increasing mental health and substance abuse issues.
AnsweredQoN 940Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MIDLAND PUBLIC HOSPITAL — MENTAL HEALTH
EMERGENCY CENTRE
940. Ms J.J. SHAW to the Minister for Mental Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's ongoing
investment in services that put patients first and support those with drug,
alcohol and acute mental health–related issues. Can the minister
outline to the house how the new mental health emergency centre at Midland
Public Hospital will ensure that those experiencing acute mental health
episodes can get the appropriate treatment they need?
EMERGENCY CENTRE
940. Ms J.J. SHAW to the Minister for Mental Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's ongoing
investment in services that put patients first and support those with drug,
alcohol and acute mental health–related issues. Can the minister
outline to the house how the new mental health emergency centre at Midland
Public Hospital will ensure that those experiencing acute mental health
episodes can get the appropriate treatment they need?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for her question.
It is not surprising that the member for Swan Hills would ask this question;
she has been a tireless advocate for mental health services at that hospital. I
was very pleased yesterday to join the Premier and the member for Swan Hills to
make an announcement at Midland Public Hospital. The announcement was to
provide funding to start the project for the installation of a mental health
observation area, to be known as the mental health emergency centre, at St John
of God Midland Public Hospital. This kickstart funding will ensure that we have
the planning and necessary understanding of what is required at that hospital
for this new centre. The centre will initially be based on a four-bed, two-chair
capacity, but we will obviously make sure that the overall configuration meets
the needs of people going to that hospital.
The people in that area are voting
with their feet. There were more than 71 000 presentations to the emergency
department last year alone, making it one of the busiest EDs in the Perth
metropolitan area. Of those 71 000 presentations, about 12 people a day were
there for mental health, toxicology and behavioural issues. We have an
obligation, and also a moral obligation, to the people of that community to
ensure that we provide appropriate treatment and care for those patients who
come to the mental health observation area. We have already had great success
with the mental health observation areas at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and
Joondalup Health Campus, and we have committed more than $11 million towards
developing a mental health observation area at Royal Perth Hospital.
We are doing these things because
the nature of the patients coming to our EDs is changing. We are increasingly
required to meet the needs of those who are suffering from acute mental health
episodes or episodes associated with alcohol and other drugs. By providing
these sectioned-off areas in the EDs, we are providing opportunities for
quieter, more dignified areas within which to de-escalate patients and get them
ready to transition to other forms of treatment to make sure that they can
continue to receive the care they need.
This development is an important
one. We know that illicit drugs and alcohol continue to have a high impact on
our community. We know that the incidence of mental health issues in our
community continues to rise, so we have to adapt our health services to meet
the needs of the community. Thanks to the tireless advocacy of the member for
Swan Hills, we are now moving forward to develop this mental health observation
area, the mental health emergency centre, at Midland Public Hospital, and we
will continue to improve services for people suffering from these sorts of
conditions because we want to continue to make sure that we put the patient
first.
It is not surprising that the member for Swan Hills would ask this question;
she has been a tireless advocate for mental health services at that hospital. I
was very pleased yesterday to join the Premier and the member for Swan Hills to
make an announcement at Midland Public Hospital. The announcement was to
provide funding to start the project for the installation of a mental health
observation area, to be known as the mental health emergency centre, at St John
of God Midland Public Hospital. This kickstart funding will ensure that we have
the planning and necessary understanding of what is required at that hospital
for this new centre. The centre will initially be based on a four-bed, two-chair
capacity, but we will obviously make sure that the overall configuration meets
the needs of people going to that hospital.
The people in that area are voting
with their feet. There were more than 71 000 presentations to the emergency
department last year alone, making it one of the busiest EDs in the Perth
metropolitan area. Of those 71 000 presentations, about 12 people a day were
there for mental health, toxicology and behavioural issues. We have an
obligation, and also a moral obligation, to the people of that community to
ensure that we provide appropriate treatment and care for those patients who
come to the mental health observation area. We have already had great success
with the mental health observation areas at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and
Joondalup Health Campus, and we have committed more than $11 million towards
developing a mental health observation area at Royal Perth Hospital.
We are doing these things because
the nature of the patients coming to our EDs is changing. We are increasingly
required to meet the needs of those who are suffering from acute mental health
episodes or episodes associated with alcohol and other drugs. By providing
these sectioned-off areas in the EDs, we are providing opportunities for
quieter, more dignified areas within which to de-escalate patients and get them
ready to transition to other forms of treatment to make sure that they can
continue to receive the care they need.
This development is an important
one. We know that illicit drugs and alcohol continue to have a high impact on
our community. We know that the incidence of mental health issues in our
community continues to rise, so we have to adapt our health services to meet
the needs of the community. Thanks to the tireless advocacy of the member for
Swan Hills, we are now moving forward to develop this mental health observation
area, the mental health emergency centre, at Midland Public Hospital, and we
will continue to improve services for people suffering from these sorts of
conditions because we want to continue to make sure that we put the patient
first.
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