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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-05-25 Daily Xml
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GLENSIDE HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (14:34): My question is for the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse. How will the redevelopment of the Glenside mental health and substance abuse facilities improve patient and other care?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:35): During this term of the Rann Labor government we have a key goal, and that is completing the multimillion dollar reform of the South Australian mental health system to provide the best—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: It is interesting that the member for Bragg interjects at this stage, because she was in the press on the weekend saying that 15 years ago the Glenside campus had 1,000 beds. Well, I checked and, in fact, 15 years ago the Glenside campus had—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Well, a thousand patients. Fifteen years ago there were 400 beds at Glenside.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I am not surprised that she got it wrong, because we know she has trouble counting. It is a big fault of the member for Bragg. She has trouble counting.

Getting back to the story, this massive reform program was triggered when the state's Social Inclusion Board reviewed the mental health system, making a series of recommendations in 2007. The government accepted the recommendations in this report, and we have since committed $300 million to reform and rebuild our mental health system.

A key part of this reform, of course, is to build a new Glenside Hospital, which will be open, I am very proud and pleased to say, in July 2012, notwithstanding all the naysayers and those who have been telling lies about what is being proposed at that site.

The $130 million Glenside redevelopment will provide a brand-new, 129 bed, state-of-the-art mental health hospital; increased beds for substance abuse treatment; a 15 bed intermediate care facility; and 20 supported accommodation places.

The existing site is currently underutilised, no longer fit for its purpose and—I think this is the important point—it contributes to the ongoing stigma and marginalisation of those who suffer from mental health problems. The government considers that a large, isolated Victorian-era asylum is no longer an appropriate way of providing mental health services.

Detailed designs of the new health facilities and open space were released in January this year following a 12-month consultation phase with clinicians, patients, staff, residents and a whole range of interested groups.

On 17 April this year, the Minister for Urban Development and Planning approved the development application for the health facilities, and the managing contractor, Hansen Yuncken, has commenced site preparation activities.

I am pleased to announce today that work has already started on the demolition of the ageing buildings. The Brentwood building is currently being demolished. Surrounded by high fencing and built around a bitumen courtyard, the Brentwood building is based on old medical architecture and, more importantly, based on old methods of care for patients.

The redevelopment of Glenside is just part of the reform process the Rann government is committed to. Across metropolitan Adelaide we are also establishing:

new and upgraded mental health units at the Lyell McEwin Hospital, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the Repatriation General Hospital, the Margaret Tobin Centre at Flinders Medical Centre and also the Noarlunga Hospital;

three 20-bed Community Recovery Centres with a $13.4 million investment;

90 new intermediate care beds; and

six new community mental health centres.

As well, the Rann government is providing dedicated mental health beds in country South Australia for the first time. I make this point particularly in response to comments made in his initial speech by the member for Mount Gambier. Those mental health beds will include a total of 10 new acute mental health beds in hospitals in Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Berri and Mount Gambier. There are also a total of 30 intermediate care places across country South Australia, including 10 for Mount Gambier.

These changes are important because country residents experiencing mental illness will also be able to get treatment closer to their homes and closer to their family, friends and support network. Obviously, that is really important. This not only reduces the need for people to travel but also reduces the demand for acute care that is provided in the metro hospitals.

The South-East, in particular (and I draw this to the attention of the member for Mount Gambier), has a community mental health team, with 14 full-time staff now based in Mount Gambier, including a senior mental health clinician, nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists and a social worker. Those people provide a service to communities in the upper and lower South-East.

I can also announce today, for members' interest, that 2.7 additional full-time positions have recently been approved, and the recruitment process is currently underway to find those people. This is an exciting time in the reform of our mental health system in South Australia. The reform process is proceeding apace at both Glenside and right across the state. We will replace an archaic, ageing mental health hospital with 21st century facilities to provide the very best care in Australia for our vulnerable.

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