❓ Response to concerns about mental health services in Busselton, detailing the introduction of an after-hours service, resource allocation methods, and the outcome of a past Psychiatric Liaison Nurse trial.
AnsweredQoN 3618Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to concerns raised by mental health providers in Busselton about the way in which acutely mentally unwell patients are being assessed and treated at Busselton Health Campus, and I ask: (a) Is an acute community intervention team currently available to provide emergency response outside of standard office hours (i.e. 9am-5pm Monday to Friday) in the City of Busselton: (i) If not, why not; (b) How does the Department determine the need to allocate resources to acute community intervention for mental health in regional areas; and (c) When was the trial of a crisis response team undertaken at Busselton Health Campus: (i) What were the objectives of this trial; (ii) What was the timeframe of the trial; and (iii) What were the outcomes of the trial?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
18 September 2018
Response time
9 days
I am advised that:
(a) On 1 May 2018, an after-hours Community Mental Health service commenced with funding from Mental Health Commission. This service provides support for current clients of Community Mental Health Services in the South West, including Busselton. Two clinicians are available and the service runs from 4pm to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9:30am to 4pm Saturdays and Sundays. Outside of these hours, consumers in crisis are informed they can present to their closest Emergency Department, or to contact the Mental Health Emergency Response Line/RuralLink for advice and support.
The service provides support for clients who are acutely unwell in the community. In the greater Bunbury area, there is capacity to home visit. Support for clients outside of Bunbury is by telephone. The service also supports clients who have been discharged from the Bunbury Hospital Acute Psychiatric Unit requiring support over the weekend.
Given the success of Emergency Telehealth Service (ETS) and the introduction of Telehealth in inpatient facilities across the regions, WA Country Health Service (WACHS) are currently exploring opportunities to provide psychiatric assessments via ETS for all rural health services in WA.
(i) Not applicable.
(b) The Mental Health Commission is the purchaser of services and provides the allocated funds to WA Country Health Service. The determination of allocation to a region is based upon population and historical trends of activity and expenditure.
(c) WACHS South West has not had a trial of a crisis response team in Busselton Health Campus. WACHS South West did trial a Psychiatric Liaison Nurse (PLN) role at Busselton Hospital from 29 June to 4 September 2015.
(i) The objective of the trial was to see if there was enough demand to warrant a PLN at Busselton Hospital.
(ii) The time frame of the trial was from 29 June to 4 September 2015.
(iii) Activity for the period of the trial demonstrated that there was not enough demand to warrant a PLN in Busselton Hospital. There were 35 contacts over the 50 days of the trial. Only 6 of these contacts required transfer to Bunbury Hospital.
(a) On 1 May 2018, an after-hours Community Mental Health service commenced with funding from Mental Health Commission. This service provides support for current clients of Community Mental Health Services in the South West, including Busselton. Two clinicians are available and the service runs from 4pm to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9:30am to 4pm Saturdays and Sundays. Outside of these hours, consumers in crisis are informed they can present to their closest Emergency Department, or to contact the Mental Health Emergency Response Line/RuralLink for advice and support.
The service provides support for clients who are acutely unwell in the community. In the greater Bunbury area, there is capacity to home visit. Support for clients outside of Bunbury is by telephone. The service also supports clients who have been discharged from the Bunbury Hospital Acute Psychiatric Unit requiring support over the weekend.
Given the success of Emergency Telehealth Service (ETS) and the introduction of Telehealth in inpatient facilities across the regions, WA Country Health Service (WACHS) are currently exploring opportunities to provide psychiatric assessments via ETS for all rural health services in WA.
(i) Not applicable.
(b) The Mental Health Commission is the purchaser of services and provides the allocated funds to WA Country Health Service. The determination of allocation to a region is based upon population and historical trends of activity and expenditure.
(c) WACHS South West has not had a trial of a crisis response team in Busselton Health Campus. WACHS South West did trial a Psychiatric Liaison Nurse (PLN) role at Busselton Hospital from 29 June to 4 September 2015.
(i) The objective of the trial was to see if there was enough demand to warrant a PLN at Busselton Hospital.
(ii) The time frame of the trial was from 29 June to 4 September 2015.
(iii) Activity for the period of the trial demonstrated that there was not enough demand to warrant a PLN in Busselton Hospital. There were 35 contacts over the 50 days of the trial. Only 6 of these contacts required transfer to Bunbury Hospital.
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