Mental health service boss quits

THE director- in- charge of Townsville Hospital’s mental health service has resigned amid a review into a unit under his charge.

Townsville Hospital and Health Service chief executive Kieran Keyes yesterday confirmed mental health service group director Michael Catt had resigned. In his position, Mr Catt was responsible for the adult acute mental health inpatient unit, which is undergoing a review following three separate incidents in the last few months, including the “unexpected death” of a patient in July.

The 44- year- old patient of the high dependency unit of the hospital’s acute mental health ward is understood to have died after being restrained. In August a nurse was investigated for supplying a patient with a knife.

The staff member later resigned. It was then confirmed in September that two patients were “inappropriately touched” the previous month.

The review into the adult acute mental health inpatient unit will use the “collective wisdom” of mental health clinicians and health administrators, including former Queensland Health and New South Wales Health director general and Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia chairman Mick Reid. Mr Catt had been a director since August 2013 and has worked at Townsville Hospital since 2010.

His role will be filled in the interim by “an appropriately qualified senior officer”.

“As I said last month, the HHS has engaged leading health administrators and mental health experts to review the adult acute mental health inpatient unit at The Townsville Hospital,” Mr Keyes said.

“The recommendations of the review are expected by the end of the year.”