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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 32 asked in the Legislative Council on 5 May 2021 by Hon Colin De Grussa

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE

32. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the Minister for Mental Health:

I refer to the Chief Psychiatrist's review into the treatment of Ms Kate Savage by the child and adolescent mental health service.

(1) Have any of the recommendations from that review been met; and, if yes, which ones?

(2) How many additional staff—full-time equivalent and headcount—have been recruited and now work in a clinical capacity?

(3) Please provide a breakdown of what hospitals have this additional FTE and headcount allocated?

(4) Is this new funding or a reallocation within the existing budget?

Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:

I thank Hon Colin de Grussa for some notice of the question.

(1) The McGowan government has committed to the recommendations made by the Chief Psychiatrist, and a collaborative response is currently underway by the Mental Health Commission and the Department of Health, child and adolescent health service. CAHS is currently working to address recommendations 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. The MHC is currently supporting recommendation 7 to establish a child and adolescent mental health ministerial task force to rebuild the child and adolescent mental health service. The task force, chaired by Robyn Kruk, AO, will outline a comprehensive plan for a contemporary, world-class infant, child and adolescent service operating model, incorporating best practice nationally and internationally. It is currently being supported by three expert advisory groups—clinical, lived experience and interagency. The task force will consider the need for a community intensive treatment service—recommendation 4 in the plan for the child and adolescent mental health service system. The task force's final report is scheduled to be delivered in late 2021.

(2) There have been 28.2 clinical FTE recruited in 2021 across the CAHS child and adolescent mental health service.

(3) There have been 11.5 FTE recruited to Perth Children's Hospital CAMHS mental health inpatient unit ward 5A and the new emergency telehealth service. There have been 16.7 FTE recruited to community-based CAMHS. I am unable to provide a headcount within the time frame but will table it when it becomes available.

(4) CAHS has contributed an additional $2 million to uplift community CAMHS FTE. New funding has been provided to the CAHS for recommendation 5—that is, $1 087 500 in the 2020–21 financial year.