Mental Health

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (14:28): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding mental health.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The government has recently closed 30 mental health beds in the southern and western intermediate care centres. Last Friday, staff at the Southern Intermediate Care Centre at Noarlunga packed up their desks and left, having been told that they would not be returning for 12 months. It has been said that this is the worst possible time to be closing mental health beds given the higher pressures on mental health since the borders opened. My questions to the minister are: when exactly will staff at the Southern Intermediate Care Centre at Noarlunga be returning and have any other beds closed or been repurposed and staff diverted elsewhere?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:29): My understanding is that there were two particular mental health centres that had problems in maintaining continuity of care, particularly because of furloughed staff in the context of COVID. My understanding is that one of those was in the Central Adelaide Local Health Network and one was in the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network.

In terms of the Central Adelaide Local Health Network, my understanding is that if that hasn't already reopened it is due to do so this month as the impact of COVID on staffing is dealt with. In relation to the southern centre, I will seek advice from the department on when that's expected to reopen.