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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 148 asked in the Legislative Council on 3 June 2021 by Hon Tjorn Sibma

Question Directed to the: Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Health
Parliament: 41 Session: 1


Question

I refer to patients currently identified as long stay admitted mental health in-patients, and I ask:
(a) what constitutes a long stay admitted in-patient and how many such patients are currently in the health system; and
(b) of the present cohort of long stay in-patients in (a), how many have been admitted for periods of:
(i) up to six months;
(ii) between six to 12 months;
(iii) between one to two years; and
(iv) longer than two years?

Answered on 4 August 2021

I am advised:

(a) Due to the complex nature of classifying mental health conditions and treatments, there is no standard definition used to identify long stay mental health inpatient inpatients.

(b) The following information is defined as all patients currently admitted in a specialised mental health ward as at 30 May 2021.

(i)  1 day up to 6 months is 724 patients.

(ii)  between 6 – 12 months is 21 patients.

(iii)  between 1 – 2yrs is 27 patients.

(iv)  longer than 2 years are 53 patients.

The state government is actively working to support long stay hospital patients transition to a more appropriate rehabilitative setting. In May 2021 a Long Stay Patient Steering Committee was formed comprising WA Health, the Mental Health Commission and the Department of Communities. These agencies are working together to individually case manage highly complex patients which will ultimately deliver a rehabilitative outcome and free up acute inpatient hospital beds.