Page 3836 - Week 10 - Thursday, 27 August 2009
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Data on the number of available in-patient mental health beds indicates that the ACT has approximately half the mental health hospital beds of the national average—15 per 100,000, with the national average sitting at 30.5.
While the report data does suggest there has been a significant move towards community-based service provision—and this is reflected in the results—the government is aware that there are issues on the availability of acute inpatient beds and has responded, with a commitment to the construction of a number of projects, including the six-bed mental health assessment unit adjacent to the Canberra Hospital emergency department which is under construction now; a 15-bed secure mental health treatment facility; and, of course, the new 40-bed adult mental health treatment facility. In addition, we are also undertaking the feasibility and design study of a 20-bed youth mental health inpatient facility.
Figures on residential mental health care show the ACT had the highest average residential care days per episode. The report acknowledges that inclusion of longer stay forensic patients in the ACT is a possible contributing factor. However, it is also reflective of the ACT’s commitment to and the development of the community-based service system.
The report presents the number of community mental health service contacts by mental health legal status, showing that the ACT reported the highest proportion of service contacts for which mental health legal status was involuntary. Specifically this means that the ACT provides nearly double the national average of care to those consumers in involuntary treatment, a measure of the excellent quality of the care delivered to ACT patients with serious mental illness.
While it is recognised that there is an overall shortage of GPs in the ACT, the report presented that there was an increase in services provided by GPs and allied health professionals. Medicare expenditure on services provided by GPs rose from $23,000 in 2005-06 to just over $1 million in 2006-07. Similarly, Medicare expenditure on services provided by psychologists dramatically rose from $25,000 in 2005-06 to $817,000 in 2006-07.
I think the report shows overall that there are a number of good and positive results for the ACT in the area of inpatient beds. It shows the importance of getting on with our rebuild of the health system by building the car park and building the adult inpatient facility as soon as we can.
Mr Stanhope: I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.
Supplementary answer to question without notice
Gaming—sale of Labor clubs
MS GALLAGHER: Mr Speaker, during question time yesterday I had a question from Vicki Dunne about the duty impact on a potential sale of the Canberra Labor Club—what would be the duty payable on a valuation. Acknowledging that we do not understand what the valuation of that asset is, and none of us have that information, I took the question based on the value of a $50 million asset, which is the value that had
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