Northern Beaches Hospital: ‘Mental health patients put at risk’ inquiry set to hear
More than 150 new submissions uploaded on the Northern Beaches Hospital parliamentary inquiry website on Friday have revealed some shocking new details.
Mental health experts say Northern Beaches Hospital’s psychiatric service is failing patients, amid claims people’s lives are being put at risk.
Frontline organisations on the peninsula have come forward to say they have grave concerns about how people who are at risk of suicide are assessed at the privately-run hospital.
They also want to highlight how some of these patients are not being connected with community organisations to offer support before they are discharged.
In one of more than 150 new submissions uploaded on the Northern Beaches Hospital parliamentary inquiry website on Friday, Community Care Northern Beaches, which is the main organisation supporting those who are at risk of suicide or have attempted suicide, claim that a man who attempted suicide presented to the hospital’s ED, was discharged without CCNB being informed and took his life 24 hours later.
In the submission it said the man with a history of drug and alcohol addiction and depression was presented to ED by police at Northern Beaches Hospital following a suicide attempt.
He was discharged the following day, without the CCNB service being alerted. He took his life 24 hours later.
In the submission to the inquiry, Dr Gary Jacobson, CEO of CCNB, said referral pathways and in-hospital discharge planning was lacking.
“This means that patients do not get referred and linked into community care to avoid future hospital admissions, or at worse, early death,” he wrote.
Marika Kontellis, from CCNB told the Manly Daily there were gaps in the mental health service and there had been instances of patients being discharged from Northern Beaches Hospital without CCNB being told.
John Kelly, manager at Community Northern Beaches, which often has people walk in off the street seeking help, said inadequate mental health services at the hospital was “literally destroying lives and should be given maximum exposure to bring the issues to light”.
“This is too serious an issue to sweep under the carpet,” Mr Kelly said.
Mr Kelly told the Manly Daily his organisation had experience of vulnerable people being discharged from hospital without first being connected with support services within the community.
The Manly Daily also understands that Northern Beaches Council was concerned about how the hospital was operating in terms of mental health and asked for organisations in the community to submit their views for a report to be sent to Health Minister Brad Hazzard — but the report was never sent.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Northern Beaches Council refused to confirm whether it had compiled a report of concerns from services on the peninsula only releasing a statement from CEO Ray Brownlee which said: “Council is working constructively with the Northern Beaches Hospital and with all service providers to actively address mental health issues on the Northern Beaches.”
A spokesman for Healthscope, the operator of Northern Beaches Hospital, said no patient attending ED is ever “turned away”, including mental health patients who are triaged in the same way any other presentation would be based on their health needs.
“NBH staff are committed to providing the best compassionate care to people with mental health issues,” the spokesman said.
“NBH has been able to increase the Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol inpatient beds by 20 per cent compared to those previously available at Manly Hospital.
“The admission pathway into our service is primarily via the ED. We have increased Mental Health personnel within the ED to support the increasing demand for our services.”
The spokesman added that the Northern Beaches Hospital maintains strong linkages with the Northern Sydney Local Health District and the Community Health Services. Transfer of Care back into the community adheres to recognised Mental Health Policy, Procedure and Guidelines.
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