24/7 mental health crisis centre to open side-by-side hospital ED

A mental health crisis centre at a Brisbane hospital will offer improved care for patients and take pressure off one of the state’s busiest EDs

The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane’s north

The Queensland government is investing $14m in a new mental health crisis centre to run side-by-side with The Prince Charles Hospital’s emergency department in Brisbane.

As rising numbers of Queenslanders seek help for problems related to mental health at the state’s EDs, Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has announced that the new hub in Brisbane’s north will improve potential gaps in emergency mental health care.

The Mental Health Crisis Stabilisation Facility, which is set to open next year, will provide 24/7 crisis support.

The centre forms part of a larger redesign of The Prince Charles’s acute care services and will include a short-stay unit as well as a lounge area with supporting services including multipurpose and treatment rooms.

Patients will be supported to stay up to 72 hours before receiving further in-hospital treatment or at-home support.

The Courier-Mail this year reported on several cases where Queenslanders experiencing a mental health crisis did not get the help they needed at hospitals across the state.

“Supporting Queenslanders in mental health crisis is a top priority for the Palaszczuk

Government,” Ms Fentiman said.

“It’s why we invested $1.64 billion into mental health support through the Better Care Together program, including $14 million for this new facility for those in the North

Brisbane region.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman

“We know that Queenslanders are increasingly reaching out to our emergency

departments for healthcare assistance and this new fit-for-purpose facility will be a

safe space for those in crisis.

“The Better Care Together program will see expanded services across Queensland

over the next five years, including 1400 new dedicated mental health, alcohol and

other drugs staff being employed to deliver services.”

Metro North Mental Health executive director Kathryn Turner welcomed the new centre that would allow patients in crisis to be seen sooner.

“The new TPCH facility will increase resources to frontline acute mental health

services and will also offer additional treatment and assessment options for those

presenting in a crisis,” Dr Turner said.

“This new model will mean more tailored care for those in need, so that they can be

seen sooner, and their needs can be attended to by a specialist in mental health

care.

“We expect the new facility to go in at TPCH from April next year, with services

operational from July onwards, which is an exciting milestone in our commitment to

patient care across Metro North Mental Health.”

The Prince Charles Hospital has one of the busiest emergency departments in the state, with up to 100,000 patients presenting each year.