❓ Mr. L'Estrange questions the Minister for Mental Health about budget cuts impacting mental health patients in emergency departments. The Minister refutes the claim, highlighting increased hospital funding and initiatives to improve mental health services.
AnsweredQoN 730Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MENTAL HEALTH —
PATIENTS — HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS
730. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Mental
Health:
I refer to the annual report of the
Mental Health Advocacy Service, tabled today on World Mental Health Day, and
the finding that bed shortages regularly resulted in children and adults
spending days in emergency departments, some physically or chemically
restrained to reduce the risk to themselves and others. Why has the minister
slashed the health budget by $200 million when some patients are being
shackled, chemically restrained or detained in the presence of security guards
in emergency departments, sometimes for several days?
PATIENTS — HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS
730. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Mental
Health:
I refer to the annual report of the
Mental Health Advocacy Service, tabled today on World Mental Health Day, and
the finding that bed shortages regularly resulted in children and adults
spending days in emergency departments, some physically or chemically
restrained to reduce the risk to themselves and others. Why has the minister
slashed the health budget by $200 million when some patients are being
shackled, chemically restrained or detained in the presence of security guards
in emergency departments, sometimes for several days?
AnswerView source ↗
Once again, I reject the premise of
the member for Churchlands' assertion that there have been budget cuts.
In fact, the budget for hospitals has increased by three per cent this year,
and of course I informed the member of this last time we sat in this place a fortnight
ago. The reason we can do that is that we are taking money from the back end
and putting it into the front end—to clinical services, where they are
required.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member!
Mr R.H. COOK : Clearly, the
premise of the member's question is totally inaccurate. It is false.
Once again, we see him come into this place ill-informed, ill-equipped of the
information and basically mentioning falsehoods. But that is okay —
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for North
West Central, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr R.H. COOK : These are
difficult services, which we need to continue to fund at an adequate rate and
in a manner that safeguards the finances of the state of Western Australia.
Mr V.A. Catania : By taking it
out of the regions.
Mr R.H. COOK : I notice we get
these utterances from the member for North West Central —
Mr V.A. Catania : Tom Price
Hospital.
The SPEAKER : Member for North
West Central, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr R.H. COOK : He is constantly
banging on because they made an election commitment at the last election, did
not put any money in the budget, and at the end of the day, there was not going
to be any money in the budget because they had already wrecked the state's
finances, which is where we are at today!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr R.H. COOK : Coming back to
the issue of mental health patients who are in emergency departments, this is a
difficult problem that the Mental Health Advocacy Service has been constantly
on about, not just in the last 18 months. It is an ongoing issue and challenge
to the mental health system. The member asked what we are doing about it. What
would any sensible government be doing about it? It would be increasing the
resources to hospitals by three per cent. It would also be increasing the
number of mental health observation areas, which we are doing at Geraldton
Hospital and Royal Perth Hospital. Since coming to office, we have also opened
the mental health observation area at Joondalup Health Campus. What else would
a government be doing about it? It would be making commitments around mental
health beds, which is what we are doing. We currently have over 3 000 mental
health beds and we have more to bring onstream through the step-up, step-down
facilities, which we are developing right across the state. We are doing this
because the other mob did not! We are doing this because we can deliver
world-class health services while safeguarding the state's finances.
This is what we are doing to take this state's mental health and health
services forward and we are doing it because they did not!
the member for Churchlands' assertion that there have been budget cuts.
In fact, the budget for hospitals has increased by three per cent this year,
and of course I informed the member of this last time we sat in this place a fortnight
ago. The reason we can do that is that we are taking money from the back end
and putting it into the front end—to clinical services, where they are
required.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member!
Mr R.H. COOK : Clearly, the
premise of the member's question is totally inaccurate. It is false.
Once again, we see him come into this place ill-informed, ill-equipped of the
information and basically mentioning falsehoods. But that is okay —
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for North
West Central, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr R.H. COOK : These are
difficult services, which we need to continue to fund at an adequate rate and
in a manner that safeguards the finances of the state of Western Australia.
Mr V.A. Catania : By taking it
out of the regions.
Mr R.H. COOK : I notice we get
these utterances from the member for North West Central —
Mr V.A. Catania : Tom Price
Hospital.
The SPEAKER : Member for North
West Central, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr R.H. COOK : He is constantly
banging on because they made an election commitment at the last election, did
not put any money in the budget, and at the end of the day, there was not going
to be any money in the budget because they had already wrecked the state's
finances, which is where we are at today!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr R.H. COOK : Coming back to
the issue of mental health patients who are in emergency departments, this is a
difficult problem that the Mental Health Advocacy Service has been constantly
on about, not just in the last 18 months. It is an ongoing issue and challenge
to the mental health system. The member asked what we are doing about it. What
would any sensible government be doing about it? It would be increasing the
resources to hospitals by three per cent. It would also be increasing the
number of mental health observation areas, which we are doing at Geraldton
Hospital and Royal Perth Hospital. Since coming to office, we have also opened
the mental health observation area at Joondalup Health Campus. What else would
a government be doing about it? It would be making commitments around mental
health beds, which is what we are doing. We currently have over 3 000 mental
health beds and we have more to bring onstream through the step-up, step-down
facilities, which we are developing right across the state. We are doing this
because the other mob did not! We are doing this because we can deliver
world-class health services while safeguarding the state's finances.
This is what we are doing to take this state's mental health and health
services forward and we are doing it because they did not!
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