Borderline Personality Disorder

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (16:47): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister, representing the Minister for Health and Mental Health, questions regarding borderline personality disorder in the context of a Tender SA brief and the Delivering Transforming Health document.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: It has come to my attention that the state government has posted an expression of interest for social impact investment trials to Tender SA, with the expressions of interest closing on 20 February. This document seeks expressions of interest in five areas of focus for the state government, with one of those areas being preventing and reducing hospital admissions for people with borderline personality disorder, BPD.

In the Tender SA background documents I also note that two of the other focus areas for these social impact investments relate directly to our health system. The Delivering Transforming Health proposals paper was released just last week, and in a document of some 60 pages only three were devoted specifically to mental health. Meanwhile, the June 2014 SA Health report on borderline personality disorder, a mental illness that affects around 1 to 4 per cent of our population, remains untouched in follow-up by the health minister. In particular, I note that primary recommendation No. 2 of this report recommends the establishment of a statewide specialist BPD service here in South Australia. My questions to the minister are as follows:

1. Why do the social impact investment trial Tender SA documents refer to a United Kingdom document from 2009 when we have here in Australia both the 2012 National Health and Medical Research Council's clinical practice guidelines for the management of borderline personality disorder, and the 2014 SA Health expert-produced document on a proposed way forward for borderline personality disorder treatment in South Australia? Does the minister not trust or believe in the expertise available here in our home state and nationally?

2. Why are we tendering for social impact investment trials in relation to BPD support and outcomes when the state government is yet to action its own SA Health BPD document written by experts in the field?

3. Will the minister agree to meet with people with BPD and their family carers to understand the impact that the current SA Health system, completely lacking in specialised services, is having on their lives?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (16:50): I thank the honourable member for her most important questions on borderline personality disorder, the government's Transforming Health project, and other matters. I undertake to take those questions to the minister in the other place and seek a response on her behalf.