Lyell McEwin Hospital Short Stay Mental Health Unit

The Hon. C. BONAROS (14:51): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Is the government or the minister aware of a patient with mental health and disability issues living in, or having recently lived in, an ATCO site hut—in other words, a transportable hut—on the grounds of the Lyell McEwin Hospital instead of being accommodated in the appropriate hospital ward? Does the government know the reason why this may be the case? If so, does it believe it is appropriate for a patient with such illnesses, or a patient of any sort for that matter, to be housed in such an environment?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:51): I thank the honourable member for her question. I am not aware of any patients in an ATCO hut at the Lyell McEwin Hospital. What I am aware of are issues at the Lyell McEwin Hospital as a result of the closure of the short stay unit. In that context, I can advise the council that the Lyell McEwin temporary mental health short stay unit was closed on 15 December 2017 following a SafeWork SA inspection and the issuing of two improvement notices. Both improvement notices directed NALHN to ensure a safe workplace for clinicians in two separate office spaces and the removal of multiple ligature points in Ward 2C SSU. I am aware that is causing accommodation problems.

I am not sure if I have advised the council that when I visited the mental health ward at Modbury, staff raised with me the issue that they are experiencing a higher level of occupancy than they have in the past because of the lack of availability of that short stay mental health unit. The previous administration had put down plans for the construction of a unit to open, I think, late 2019. The Marshall Liberal team does not believe that is an acceptable time frame to provide not only the emergency department with the short stay mental health capacity but also to provide mental health patients with an opportunity to regain their health in an environment more conducive than the mainstream emergency department.

I am actively pursuing, with my department, opportunities to provide a short stay capacity at the Lyell McEwin much earlier than late 2019. Without knowing the case, I do not know if this would help in that circumstance, but it may be part of the issue we have with mental health services in the north.