Chief Psychiatrist

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:30): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing questions to the Minister for Health on the subject of the Chief Psychiatrist

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: On 6 October, Dr Aaron Groves stepped down from his position as the state's Chief Psychiatrist. He had advised the government of this plan to resign from the position to take up a new role interstate some four months earlier. His decision to move into a new role was made in early June, less than two months after he completed an independent review into the operation of the Older Persons Mental Health Services at Oakden. My questions for the minister are:

1. Given that Dr Groves indicated that he was resigning from the role four months ago, what steps have been taken to secure a replacement Chief Psychiatrist?

2. Given that the Mental Health Act does not provide for an acting chief psychiatrist, by what authority are gazettals being made by Dr Brian McKinney?

3. Will the minister assure the council that he will veto the SA Health proposal to merge the independent and oversighting role of the Chief Psychiatrist with the strategic role of the head of mental health services, to become a title of Executive Director, Mental Health and Substance Abuse, SA Health?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse) (14:32): I thank the honourable member for her question. My advice is that indeed these two roles were once combined prior to the appointment of Dr Groves. We thank Dr Groves for his service to the state. He has had a formidable job, particularly in light of the Oakden report, where of course he put together and was able to establish what were substantial revelations that now inform the government's response to Oakden, not just Oakden specifically, but also providing mental health services for members of the public who are older.

Those two roles were once combined. They were then separated for a number of reasons, many of which I am advised have since expired in terms of their necessity, and now they are being combined. I have been advised that the re-combination of these responsibilities is something that does have support around the sector. I am even advised, I think, that that includes Dr Groves himself.

However, the key objective here is about making sure that the person who is the Chief Psychiatrist doesn't just have the capacity to be able to review clinical decisions, but also has the capacity to be able to implement change going forward. That appears to be an emeritus position, an emeritus objective, which is why the decision was made to do that and why the government is now actively in search of a new Chief Psychiatrist to fill that role and that mandate in an adjusted form.