‘Must change’: Bleijie calls for reform to better protect nurses in Qld mental health units

Queensland’s Premier has dodged a question around the safety of frontline workers and patients inside Cairns’ troubled mental health unit — despite the Deputy Opposition Leader calling for more security to stop workplace violence.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition Jarrod Bleijie has called out the treatment of frontline workers inside the Cairns mental health unit. Picture: Richard Walker

Queensland Premier Steven Miles has dodged a question around the safety of frontline workers and patients inside Cairns’ troubled mental health unit — despite the Deputy Opposition Leader calling for greater security to stop workplace violence.

For months burned out mental health workers have been campaigning to stop incidents of assault, illicit drug use amongst patients and the use of weapons inside their ward.

Cairns Base Hospital’s Kerwin St entry where some mental health services within Cairns hospital are currently based. Picture Emily Barker.

Additionally, whistleblowers have called for an increased security presence within the unit, given the regular presentation of prisoners from Lotus Glen correctional facility seeking treatment.

But when asked why Cairns’ mental health unit couldn’t have a dedicated security guard onsite, the Premier deferred the question to Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service’s (CHHHS) CEO Leena Singh.

“Patients that come to our mental health facility are coming in the most vulnerable state,” Ms Singh said.

“We have to balance a therapeutic environment for them with a safe environment.

“We can’t have big burly security guards inside the mental health facility because there are lots of people who access our system that don’t want to have that as part of their therapy and ongoing care process.

“That means we’ve got people who are fully trained in being able to restrain (patients) where necessary and preferably being able to de-escalate … and have more of a patient focus to it.”

But Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie said it wasn’t good enough.

“No frontline worker anywhere in Queensland should be assaulted in the workplace, fear for their lives in the workplace or be bullied,” Mr Bleijie said.

“Hearing that prisoners going to the mental health unit don’t have security in attendance is quite distressing. It begs the question, how is this able to happen?”

Currently, corrective service officers are not required to guard prisoners inside a hospital’s psychiatric wards under the state’s Mental Health Act – something Mr Bleijie said must be addressed.

“If there is legislation preventing our frontline workers in our mental health units from being supported, protected and cared for then that absolutely must change,” he said.

“We can’t have a situation where nurses and patients at our public hospitals – when prisoners go there – aren’t protected. How did we get there?”

Queensland Premier Steven Miles says frontline staff in Queensland hospitals receive training and support to deal with violent patients. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Mr Miles said the state government had invested an additional $32m into security at hospitals.

“Mental health units are complex environments but what Queensland Health works to do is to ensure that our staff have the training and capabilities as well as that security component as well to keep our staff safe,” he said.

The opening of the hospital’s long-delayed mental health unit, an extra six trainers who provide instruction on “de-escalation” and additional “ambassador security personnel” would help improve safety inside the ward, Ms Singh said.

Originally published as ‘Must change’: Bleijie calls for reform to better protect nurses in Qld mental health units