❓ Question regarding suicides of discharged mental health patients from Fremantle's Alma Street, requesting emergency funding and improved transition/follow-up services. The Minister acknowledges the issue, outlines existing assessment procedures, ongoing reviews, and available follow-up services.
AnsweredQoN 6809Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
With reference to the Fremantle Mental Health Service and the recent suicides of mental health patients being discharged from Alma Street, I ask:
(a) will the Minister release emergency funding immediately to ensure an adequate supply of beds at Alma Street so that suicidal patients receive appropriate treatment in Fremantle; and
(i) if yes, how much emergency funding will the Minister release and when will additional beds be available;
(b) what strategies will the Minister put in place to ensure that mental health patients in Fremantle make a safe transition from hospital to home; and
(c) what follow up service is currently provided to mental health patients in Fremantle when they are discharged from Alma Street?
(a) will the Minister release emergency funding immediately to ensure an adequate supply of beds at Alma Street so that suicidal patients receive appropriate treatment in Fremantle; and
(i) if yes, how much emergency funding will the Minister release and when will additional beds be available;
(b) what strategies will the Minister put in place to ensure that mental health patients in Fremantle make a safe transition from hospital to home; and
(c) what follow up service is currently provided to mental health patients in Fremantle when they are discharged from Alma Street?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
19 March 2012
Responded by
Minister representing the Minister for Mental Health; Disability Services
Response time
118 days
(a) Whilst there is no current capacity to increase the number of psychiatric beds at the Alma Street Centre (ASC) if an 'at risk of suicide' patient presents to any hospital (including Fremantle Hospital), the patient is assessed and if the decision is that admission is required, the patient is admitted for care within the system of available psychiatric beds across the metropolitan area. No 'at risk of suicide' patient would be intentionally sent home or into the community without that risk being addressed.
(i) Not applicable.
(b) There are currently three reviews being undertaken, two by the Chief Psychiatrist and the other by an external consultant, Professor Bryant Stokes. These reviews will consider the admission and discharge practices in mental health services, including those at Fremantle Hospital. The findings and recommendations for strategies and actions of these reviews are expected to be made available to the Minister for Mental Health by the end of April 2012.
(c) The services provided to discharged patients are dependent on the needs of the person and their circumstances. Follow up can either be through a group program, such as Ellen Street, Living Skills and/or through the outpatient clinic and community care teams. If a person's circumstance changes, there is access to 24 hour clinicians through the Alma Street Centre outpatient clinic where the triage service is available to provide phone and face-to-face contact with clients, and after hours through the Mental Health Emergency Response Line (MHERL) and/or the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
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(i) Not applicable.
(b) There are currently three reviews being undertaken, two by the Chief Psychiatrist and the other by an external consultant, Professor Bryant Stokes. These reviews will consider the admission and discharge practices in mental health services, including those at Fremantle Hospital. The findings and recommendations for strategies and actions of these reviews are expected to be made available to the Minister for Mental Health by the end of April 2012.
(c) The services provided to discharged patients are dependent on the needs of the person and their circumstances. Follow up can either be through a group program, such as Ellen Street, Living Skills and/or through the outpatient clinic and community care teams. If a person's circumstance changes, there is access to 24 hour clinicians through the Alma Street Centre outpatient clinic where the triage service is available to provide phone and face-to-face contact with clients, and after hours through the Mental Health Emergency Response Line (MHERL) and/or the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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