❓ Hon Stephen Dawson questions the Minister for Mental Health regarding a patient waiting 62 hours in Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital's emergency department and the adequacy of mental health facilities. The Minister defends the government's actions and accuses the opposition of inaction.
AnsweredQoN 1095Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
MENTAL
HEALTH — SIR CHARLES GAIRDNER HOSPITAL
1095. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the Minister
for Mental Health:
I refer to the crisis in the mental
health system and media reports today saying that a patient languished in Sir Charles
Gairdner Hospital emergency department for 62 hours this week. When will the
minister admit that everything is not okay and properly address the need for
more acute mental health facilities?
HEALTH — SIR CHARLES GAIRDNER HOSPITAL
1095. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the Minister
for Mental Health:
I refer to the crisis in the mental
health system and media reports today saying that a patient languished in Sir Charles
Gairdner Hospital emergency department for 62 hours this week. When will the
minister admit that everything is not okay and properly address the need for
more acute mental health facilities?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice
of this question.
It is a very good question because
if he is so keen to read Liberal Party policy, he would have gone back and
looked at Liberal Party policy that said that everything in mental health is
not okay. That is why we established the Mental Health Commission and a
ministerial portfolio for mental health and put in place the first suicide
prevention strategy. We have done a whole lot of other things to try to pick up
where members opposite left off because they had nothing in place for mental
health whatsoever. It is also why we have included an additional 80-odd beds
for people with mental illness and established the first sub-acute services
that have started the co-response with decriminalisation of mental illness.
Several members interjected.
Hon HELEN MORTON : Members opposite did nothing. They
continue to do nothing except carp on about what we are doing. Let me tell them
exactly what has happened as a result of that.
Several members interjected.
The
PRESIDENT : Order, members! Minister, if you have not finished your answer
would you address the rest of it through me, please, as the Chair.
Hon HELEN MORTON : Thank you, Mr President; I am very
happy to do that because I can absolutely guarantee that all patients currently
requiring approved or authorised mental health beds, including secure beds,
have been allocated from Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and all will be
transferred this afternoon.
of this question.
It is a very good question because
if he is so keen to read Liberal Party policy, he would have gone back and
looked at Liberal Party policy that said that everything in mental health is
not okay. That is why we established the Mental Health Commission and a
ministerial portfolio for mental health and put in place the first suicide
prevention strategy. We have done a whole lot of other things to try to pick up
where members opposite left off because they had nothing in place for mental
health whatsoever. It is also why we have included an additional 80-odd beds
for people with mental illness and established the first sub-acute services
that have started the co-response with decriminalisation of mental illness.
Several members interjected.
Hon HELEN MORTON : Members opposite did nothing. They
continue to do nothing except carp on about what we are doing. Let me tell them
exactly what has happened as a result of that.
Several members interjected.
The
PRESIDENT : Order, members! Minister, if you have not finished your answer
would you address the rest of it through me, please, as the Chair.
Hon HELEN MORTON : Thank you, Mr President; I am very
happy to do that because I can absolutely guarantee that all patients currently
requiring approved or authorised mental health beds, including secure beds,
have been allocated from Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and all will be
transferred this afternoon.
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