WA vows to strengthen mental health services

Roger Cook said new governance arrangements for mental health would strengthen integration and accountability within the public health system.

Western Australian Health Minister Roger Cook. Picture: AAP

West Australian Health Minister Roger Cook has pledged to strengthen the state’s mental health services in the wake of a scathing review of the system from the state’s chief psychiatrist.

The Australian on Monday revealed that a review by the office of the chief psychiatrist of nine homicides committed by WA mental health patients in 2018 found that the state’s mental health system was under significant pressure, with poor co-operation between services, out-of-date assessment methods, insufficient funding and a flawed organisational structure all contributing to the situation.

The office said there was a “reluctance” among some service providers to respond to concerns raised by family members and carers, and a number of incidents where patients with previous diagnoses of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were treated as having drug toxicity.

Organisational and governance changes in recent years had also led to a reduction in “the voice” of clinical leaders within mental health, the review said.

“The current organisational and governance structures present a major impediment to addressing the shortfall in the standard of clinical treatment and care,” the review found.

Mr Cook said the government had recently announced new governance arrangements for mental health, alcohol and other drug services in WA, including establishing a Mental Health Executive Committee, a Community Mental Health Alcohol and other Drug Council, and the creation of the Chief Medical ­Office, Mental Health.

The MHEC, he said, would strengthen integration and accountability of mental health, alcohol and other drug services within the public health system.

“The MHEC will also focus on improving partnerships, in particular with the community sector and strengthen consumer-focused care, to ensure that lived experience is central to policy ­development and service delivery,” he said.

“The Chief Medical Officer, Mental Health has brought clinical expertise into the Mental Health Commission and will lead the co-ordination of clinical expertise and leadership.”