House of Assembly: Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Contents

Mental Health Services

Mr KNOLL (Schubert) (14:47): Is it the government's policy that, even in the clinical environment, the authority of a Correctional Services officer to restrain a person with hard restraints overrides the authority of clinicians providing care, even in instances where the patient is in labour or, for instance, on life support?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS (Taylor—Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse) (14:48): Individual cases are a combination, I am sure, of decision-making protocols. I am not a clinician, as I have said multiple times today, and policies require a degree of flexibility. There are safety concerns, and I would have to understand the clinical circumstances around each unique decision made.