Mental Health Review

Ms PRATT (Frome) (14:28): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Can the minister update the house on the commencement and completion dates for the independent review committed to by the Chief Psychiatrist relating to the recent incident at Glenelg? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Ms PRATT: An incident occurred at a Glenelg real estate agency on 22 April following the release of a mental health patient from hospital that day. The Chief Psychiatrist has indicated that an independent external review into the case will look into the care that she received over the past 18 months, including discharge procedures, communication with other agencies and appropriate improvement recommendations for the care of people in similar situations.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:29): Thank you very much, member for Frome, for this important question. This matter was brought to my attention last week, and obviously I was concerned to hear about the matter and raised it with both the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network and also the Chief Psychiatrist. Obviously, broader matters in relation to this are before the courts and I will be careful in terms of how I comment, but suffice to say that, following discussions that I had with family members involved here and also discussions with the Chief Psychiatrist, the Chief Psychiatrist has commissioned an independent review into the circumstances of the care of this patient in the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network.

He has already appointed a reviewer, which is Dr Danny Sullivan, who is a consultant forensic and adult psychiatrist from Victoria, so somebody from interstate has been brought in to do this review. Dr Sullivan has conducted similar reviews of a serious nature and provided evidence to coronial inquests across the country, I am advised, and so has a level of insight that the Chief Psychiatrist believes he will bring to the investigations into this matter. The Chief Psychiatrist has said that he expects that the review will take between three or four months, but obviously will be guided by what the independent reviewer believes is necessary in terms of making sure that he is able to address the terms of reference.

When I met with family members, we provided them with the draft terms of reference that would be provided to the independent review, and we have given the family the opportunity to give input into the terms of reference as well before they are finalised.