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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-06-22 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

EATING DISORDER SERVICES

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) (14:09): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Today, I table—and I do that now—'Service Model: South Australian Statewide Specialist Eating Disorder Services—Final Report'. This report recommends a new model of care for treating eating disorders in South Australia. The report was prepared by independent consultant Ms Deidre Mulligan and comes after five months of engagement and extensive consultation with key stakeholders, including a project reference group which comprised clinicians, consumers, carers and non-government organisations. The project reference group has approved the release of the report.

The key recommendation contained in the report is that there needs to be a range of services that is accessible by the community across the state, including people in country areas. The project reference group reviewed current national and international clinical guidelines on the treatment of eating disorders, and these informed the model of care.

At present, acute treatment services are offered by the Women's and Children's Hospital and Ward 4GP at Flinders Medical Centre, with limited outreach into the community. This often results in consumers being extremely unwell before they are able to access services. The proposed model of care acknowledges that early intervention and primary prevention are critical in ensuring that consumers have the maximum chance of recovery. The Southern Mental Health eating disorder consultant specialists and senior staff are positive about the new model of care for the treatment of eating disorders.

Central to the proposed new model of care will be specialist eating disorder clinicians who will be able to provide outreach clinics and will assist primary healthcare providers and mental health staff. These specialists will also be able to provide flexible support to country South Australia by teleconferencing, video conferencing, face-to-face sessions, training, mentoring and support. It is important that consumers with early stage onset eating disorders can access services through a variety of means, including dieticians, GPs, psychologists, child and adolescent mental health services and, of course, specialists.

The report also recommends that beds under clinical management be established in a residential setting and be accessible to people aged 15 years and over. This residential service will be complemented by day program services, as well as a clear pathway to acute inpatient services where medical stabilisation is required. The report notes that the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists treatment guide recommends hospital inpatient treatment only for medical stabilisation.

Consumers who require medical stabilisation will be treated in an acute inpatient setting with input from the specialist eating disorder team. This would enable consumers to receive acute treatment in a public hospital closer to their homes and families. Acute medical stabilisation for consumers aged under 16 years will continue to be provided by the Women's and Children's Hospital.

To expand eating disorder services across the state under the proposed model of care will cost approximately an additional $1.2 million per annum. SA Health will now establish an implementation committee comprising eating disorder clinicians, consumers, carers and non-government organisations. Over the next 12 months, the implementation committee will determine detailed operations of the new model. In the interim, Ward 4G will remain open but, in the long term, this is not the most therapeutic environment for consumers to receive treatment.

This new model of care will ensure that there is a clearer pathway to access specialist eating disorder services and that such services are available to all South Australians, including consumers, carers and family members. I am advised that the report will be on the health website in about 20 minutes' time.

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