Mental health trial boost
AN innovative mental health program piloted in Geelong has been granted an extension, with scope for a permanent rollout and expansion across the state.
The Prehospital Response of Mental Health and Paramedic Team (PROMPT) trial would run for an extra six months after a successful three-month trial, Mental Health Minister Martin Foley announced yesterday.
The Victorian-first program teams specialist mental health staff with paramedics when they are called out to an incident where mental health may be an issue.
Mental health staff arrive in an unmarked car — a calming option compared with police arriving with lights and sirens.
Patients in crisis are assessed and triaged sooner, and fewer need to be taken to busy emergency departments, which can exacerbate a patient’s symptoms.
The program is a partnership between Ambulance Victoria and Barwon Health.
Barwon Health’s Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Services clinical director Steve Moylan said some patients were taken to the inpatient unit without having to go through the ED, while others were treated in their homes.
In its first three months, PROMPT diverted around 76 per cent of patients away from hospital to more appropriate mental health services.
Currently, ambulances respond on average 15 times a day to calls involving mental health patients in the Barwon region.
Ambulance Victoria Barwon South-West acting regional director Duncan Erwin said the trial had attracted interest from interstate and other parts of regional Victoria.
Mr Erwin said evaluations with patients had attracted high levels of satisfaction and positive comments.
The trial, which has run on Thursday to Monday afternoons, will shift to Friday to Tuesday.
“We’ll see what further learnings (come) over the course of different times of the year, because of course this neck of the woods starts to get very busy from here on with the holiday season,” Mr Foley said.
“This trial is giving people in Barwon the right care, faster and is reducing the likelihood of mental health presentations escalating unnecessarily or involving an emergency department.
“It’s going to go for another six months … every indication is this is a successful model.”