❓ Question regarding staffing costs for one-on-one nursing specialists caring for patients who would typically be in locked wards. The answer states that the data is not routinely collected and a manual audit would be required, deeming it an inappropriate use of resources.
AnsweredQoN 1758Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
What has been the staffing costs for one-on-one nursing specialists to care for patients on open wards who ordinarily would have been on locked wards for, the following periods: (a) 2010-2011; (b) 2011-2012; (c) 2012-2013; and (d) 2013-2014?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
2 December 2014
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health
Response time
47 days
(a-d) WA Health is not able to provide a response to this question as data are not routinely collected on one-on-one nursing specialists.
The reasons for implementing one-on-one specials vary significantly and are determined by the individual clinical care needs of patients. Usually, clinical risk is very strong indicator for one-on-one specials, for example where a patient requires monitoring because of the potential for medical complication (eg, as a result of intravenous tranquilisation) or where a patient has been expressing acute suicidal intent or poses another kind of risk such as absconding. The use of one-on-one specials may on occasion be directly related to the absence of a secure bed, however the proportion of one-on-one specials related to the absence of a secure bed is unknown and is not recorded in a manner (database) which enables ready reporting.
In order to address this question a manual audit of all medical records would be required of patients admitted over the past four years. This would be a very time consuming exercise which would impact on clinical services as a consequence of the need to divert clinical and administrative staff from their current duties. This is consequently considered an inappropriate diversion of staff time from their core clinical and administrative duties.
The reasons for implementing one-on-one specials vary significantly and are determined by the individual clinical care needs of patients. Usually, clinical risk is very strong indicator for one-on-one specials, for example where a patient requires monitoring because of the potential for medical complication (eg, as a result of intravenous tranquilisation) or where a patient has been expressing acute suicidal intent or poses another kind of risk such as absconding. The use of one-on-one specials may on occasion be directly related to the absence of a secure bed, however the proportion of one-on-one specials related to the absence of a secure bed is unknown and is not recorded in a manner (database) which enables ready reporting.
In order to address this question a manual audit of all medical records would be required of patients admitted over the past four years. This would be a very time consuming exercise which would impact on clinical services as a consequence of the need to divert clinical and administrative staff from their current duties. This is consequently considered an inappropriate diversion of staff time from their core clinical and administrative duties.
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