Royal Adelaide Hospital Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS (14:58): Has the minister been made aware of, as a result of the review, any clinical safety issues that have occurred in the RAH mental health unit within the last month? If so, what were those issues?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:58): I think the honourable member is conflating events. What I have been advised is there were two separate incidents in recent weeks, and they led to the Chief Psychiatrist reviewing the arrangements. I think it's important to stress that, after the former government opened the Royal Adelaide Hospital in September 2017, it wasn't until January 2019 that the Chief Psychiatrist authorised the psychiatric intensive care unit at the Royal Adelaide as an I think the phrase is authorised treatment centre.

The issues that led to the unit not opening until January are not the same as the ones that have emerged in recent weeks. My understanding is that the issues that have emerged are particularly in relation to pendants.

Over the past six weeks, there have been two separate, unrelated incidents where the system has been reported as failing in the mental health unit. Both of those related to issues in relation to pendants. The pendants are being transferred. My understanding is that there are issues with the pendant software, and also that there is some replacement of pendant devices. That led to the Chief Psychiatrist issuing a notice dated 28 March 2019. In particular, that notice was in response to the second incident—an incident on 23 March. The Chief Psychiatrist has required that the hospital put in place a risk mitigation strategy.