❓ A parliamentary question regarding the facilitated discharge program at Rockingham General Hospital's mental health unit, Mimidi Park, focusing on patient referrals, bed usage, and PRN medication. The Minister's response is defensive and dismissive, questioning the validity and understanding behind the questions.
AnsweredQoN 146Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
ROCKINGHAM
GENERAL HOSPITAL — MENTAL HEALTH UNIT
146. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH to the Minister for Mental
Health:
I refer to the facilitated discharge program at the Mimidi
Park mental health unit at Rockingham General Hospital.
(1) For the
recording period prior to and the monthly records kept since the FDP commenced,
how many patients have been referred to the intensive day therapy program,
including those considered for referral who chose to opt out?
(2) Is it true
that patients were transferred to attend day activities at Mimidi Park from
8.30 am to 8.00 pm seven days per week so that someone else could take their
general bed for that period of time; and, if so, does Rockingham General Hospital
receive additional funding for filling these beds?
(3) Can the
minister provide the figures that cover the supply of pro re nata—PRN—medications
for those with a bed in the mental health unit; and for those mental health
patients in medical beds for the hours between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm?
GENERAL HOSPITAL — MENTAL HEALTH UNIT
146. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH to the Minister for Mental
Health:
I refer to the facilitated discharge program at the Mimidi
Park mental health unit at Rockingham General Hospital.
(1) For the
recording period prior to and the monthly records kept since the FDP commenced,
how many patients have been referred to the intensive day therapy program,
including those considered for referral who chose to opt out?
(2) Is it true
that patients were transferred to attend day activities at Mimidi Park from
8.30 am to 8.00 pm seven days per week so that someone else could take their
general bed for that period of time; and, if so, does Rockingham General Hospital
receive additional funding for filling these beds?
(3) Can the
minister provide the figures that cover the supply of pro re nata—PRN—medications
for those with a bed in the mental health unit; and for those mental health
patients in medical beds for the hours between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(3) The facilitated discharge
program started on Monday, two days ago. As I said before in my response to
some queries the member had, and so that people understand what we are talking
about here, this program allows those patients at Rockingham General Hospital
who are willing and able, when they have come to the end of their stay in the
specialist mental health unit and when it is appropriate, to move into the
general ward for the last few days of their stay. They may do that. Many people
prefer to do that, I can assure the member. Then if they require some ongoing
assistance and support, such as socialising activities et cetera, in the specialist
mental health unit, which is called Mimidi Park, they may go back there for one
or more of those sessions during the day for those socialising or other
activities. Again, that is good management. Equally, if they are deemed
appropriate and are able and willing to participate in a community program,
they may go off-site to the community program, and that is considered good
practice as well. However, for the member's benefit, the facilitated
discharge program commenced on Monday, 26 March 2012 and no patient has yet
been referred. Obviously the union members are feeling a bit touchy about it,
even though they do not understand the benefit of it.
Hon
Ljiljanna Ravlich : They're
your employees.
Hon HELEN MORTON : On the other aspect, the middle aspect of
the member's question about whether we are hot-bedding patients at
Rockingham hospital, I did not think that her credibility could reach a new
low. It is unbelievable that she would even ask that question, let alone
imagine it could be possible that somehow or other people are being admitted to
the hospital and sent somewhere else during the day so that someone else can
use their bed!
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : To take pressure off the four-hour rule
maybe.
Hon HELEN MORTON : The member is unbelievable, again!
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : To take a little bit of pressure off the
emergency department maybe, minister.
The PRESIDENT : Order!
Hon HELEN MORTON : Mr President, the answer to that, and I
have toned it down from the service provider, is that it is just not true. For
the member to ask the third part of the question, I do not even know whether
she knows what PRN medication is. Does she know what PRN medication is?
Hon
Ljiljanna Ravlich : Can you
just give the answer?
Hon HELEN MORTON : The member does not know what it is.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Just give the answer.
Hon HELEN MORTON : She has no idea how ridiculous her
question is, again, because she does not know what PRN medication is.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order! Minister,
direct your comments through the Chair.
Hon HELEN MORTON : That is a good idea, Mr President.
The PRESIDENT : Then I will have
absolutely no tolerance of interjections from that point on.
Hon HELEN MORTON : Mr President, for the member's
sake, I will explain what PRN medication is. It is any medication that is given
as needed; rather than, say, an antibiotic that is required at certain times
throughout the day.
The third part of
the question was whether I could provide figures that cover the supply of
medication for all the people in the mental health unit. I do not know whether
the member is asking about the past 10 years, the past one year, a 24-hour
period, a certain type of medication or what. This question is just not
answerable. This sort of information is not collected. But that is only the
first part of the question in which we had three or four hours to try to get
information. The second part of the question was about patients in medical beds
in the hours between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm. It is just a ridiculous question, Mr
President, and I do not propose to waste anybody's time trying to
answer silly questions like that.
(1)–(3) The facilitated discharge
program started on Monday, two days ago. As I said before in my response to
some queries the member had, and so that people understand what we are talking
about here, this program allows those patients at Rockingham General Hospital
who are willing and able, when they have come to the end of their stay in the
specialist mental health unit and when it is appropriate, to move into the
general ward for the last few days of their stay. They may do that. Many people
prefer to do that, I can assure the member. Then if they require some ongoing
assistance and support, such as socialising activities et cetera, in the specialist
mental health unit, which is called Mimidi Park, they may go back there for one
or more of those sessions during the day for those socialising or other
activities. Again, that is good management. Equally, if they are deemed
appropriate and are able and willing to participate in a community program,
they may go off-site to the community program, and that is considered good
practice as well. However, for the member's benefit, the facilitated
discharge program commenced on Monday, 26 March 2012 and no patient has yet
been referred. Obviously the union members are feeling a bit touchy about it,
even though they do not understand the benefit of it.
Hon
Ljiljanna Ravlich : They're
your employees.
Hon HELEN MORTON : On the other aspect, the middle aspect of
the member's question about whether we are hot-bedding patients at
Rockingham hospital, I did not think that her credibility could reach a new
low. It is unbelievable that she would even ask that question, let alone
imagine it could be possible that somehow or other people are being admitted to
the hospital and sent somewhere else during the day so that someone else can
use their bed!
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : To take pressure off the four-hour rule
maybe.
Hon HELEN MORTON : The member is unbelievable, again!
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : To take a little bit of pressure off the
emergency department maybe, minister.
The PRESIDENT : Order!
Hon HELEN MORTON : Mr President, the answer to that, and I
have toned it down from the service provider, is that it is just not true. For
the member to ask the third part of the question, I do not even know whether
she knows what PRN medication is. Does she know what PRN medication is?
Hon
Ljiljanna Ravlich : Can you
just give the answer?
Hon HELEN MORTON : The member does not know what it is.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Just give the answer.
Hon HELEN MORTON : She has no idea how ridiculous her
question is, again, because she does not know what PRN medication is.
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order! Minister,
direct your comments through the Chair.
Hon HELEN MORTON : That is a good idea, Mr President.
The PRESIDENT : Then I will have
absolutely no tolerance of interjections from that point on.
Hon HELEN MORTON : Mr President, for the member's
sake, I will explain what PRN medication is. It is any medication that is given
as needed; rather than, say, an antibiotic that is required at certain times
throughout the day.
The third part of
the question was whether I could provide figures that cover the supply of
medication for all the people in the mental health unit. I do not know whether
the member is asking about the past 10 years, the past one year, a 24-hour
period, a certain type of medication or what. This question is just not
answerable. This sort of information is not collected. But that is only the
first part of the question in which we had three or four hours to try to get
information. The second part of the question was about patients in medical beds
in the hours between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm. It is just a ridiculous question, Mr
President, and I do not propose to waste anybody's time trying to
answer silly questions like that.
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