House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Mental Health Facilities MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES Dr McFETRIDGE House of Assembly Morphett MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (15:05): This is a supplementary to that question. Given the minister's answer, why is it that the frequency of shackling mental health patients is such that the Salaried Medical Officers Association is considering referring the inhumane treatment of mental health patients by this government to the UN Human Rights Commission? The Hon. J.J. SNELLING House of Assembly Playford Minister for Health and Ageing Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Minister for Defence Industries Minister for Veterans' Affairs MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (15:05): I have had several meetings with Dr Pope from SASMOA. I have met with clinicians who are members of his. They have raised these issues and raised these concerns with me. It hasn't been brought to my attention that they will be referring anything to the United Nations. What I do understand and what I will always support are our doctors and nurses in our emergency departments who often have to act in very difficult situations and often have to make very difficult decisions in order to ensure the safety both of the patient being treated and of the other workers in the emergency department. I will always back the doctors and nurses who work in our emergency departments and who often have to make very difficult decisions.