‘Lack’ of mental health community services in Tasmania’s North West highlighted in coroner’s report

An investigation into the suicide of a North West man knocked back from a mental health crisis assessment and treatment in Burnie has pointed to gaps in the region’s services that may have helped him. The department’s response >

Coroner Olivia McTaggart hands down findings in investigation into suicide of Luke Trevor Young at Doctors Rocks in February 2021.

An investigation into the suicide of a North West man previously knocked back from mental health crisis assessment and treatment in Burnie has pointed to gaps in the region’s services that may have helped him.

The observations were made by a pair of Tasmanian doctors during Coroner Olivia McTaggart’s investigation into the February 2021 suicide of 42-year-old Luke Trevor Young in the state’s North West.

In the published findings, Dr Nimali Samarabandu – a GP who had seen Mr Young 50 times in 11 months between March 2020 until his death – said there was a “big shortage” of psychologists and psychiatrists in the North West.

Mr Young, Ms McTaggart noted, had a long history of severe mental illness and chronic suicidality.

And while his death “perhaps could not have ultimately been prevented”, Ms McTaggart said it was appropriate to comment on what she considered to “be a gap in the delivery of optimal mental health services” to Mr Young.

Dr Kirkman said there was a lack of community services in the North West. Photo: iStock. Generic image.

In May 2020, Mr Young’s referral to the Adult Community Mental Health Services North West in Burnie was declined on the basis that his circumstances did not fit the criteria for the Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team (CATT), and that he should be referred to a private psychiatrist.

Mr Young saw Dr Ross Kirkman – a Hobart based psychiatrist – from June until December 2020 via teleconference, as there was no psychiatrist available in the North West.

Days before his death, Mr Young attended the North West Regional Hospital after having a panic attack and doctors assessed him as being sleep-deprived and suffering from insomnia.

Dr Kirkman said in the “best case scenario” Mr Young would have been “intensely case managed on a weekly or fortnightly basis by a local adult mental health multidisciplinary team” – but that no such service had existed in the region.

Dr Kirkman said because of the “lack of community services”, many GPs referred patients such as Mr Young to him and that it had not been “feasible or possible” for him to provide intensive case management from afar.

Coroner McTaggart said while Mr Young’s death may not have been prevented, intensive community case management to treat his conditions may have assisted him.

He added that there had been many instances where patients seen by the local CATT had often been passed back to him “quite rapidly”.

In December 2020, Mr Young was referred to a mainland-based psychiatry practice specialising in providing care via teleconferencing.

It was said that Mr Young had attended two consultations with a psychiatrist before his death, but that each were less than six minutes long.

Ms McTaggart said Dr Samarabandu had noted waiting lists were very long and there “is an inability to meet demand”.

Ms McTaggart said intensive community case management to treat Mr Young’s mental health conditions had been required, and may have assisted him.

“Such a service was not available to Mr Young and should be considered in plans for mental health services for the North West region, if it does not already [form] part of such plans.”

Ms McTaggart commended the treatment both doctors offered for Mr Young.

A Department of Health spokesman said mental health and suicide prevention were a high priority.

“ … And we are committed to improving mental health services across Tasmania, including in the North West,” they said.

“We will carefully consider the Coroner’s findings in that regard.”

They said the redevelopment of the North West Regional Hosptial included a $40 million budget allocation for the first stage of a new mental health precinct, which is expected to be completed by 2025-26.

“The department is also progressing a plan to implement a new Mental Health Emergency Response service in the North-West, based on the successful PACER model in the South,” they said.