Mental health facility secured

CAIRNS Hospital no longer has the worst record in Queensland for escaped mental health patients.

The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service’s MHU has made huge inroads in preventing the number of patients escaping from the facility during the past financial year.

For two years in a row, the hospital had the worst record in Queensland for patients absconding from the secure mental health facility.

New figures released by Queensland’s chief psychiatrist show there was 87 authorities to transport absent patients issued between July 1, 2017 to June 30 this year – a major improvement from 2015-16, when a total the 133 patients were reported as missing from the facility, including several with forensic orders against them.

The Gold Coast Hospital’s mental health unit last financial year gained the title as the worst facility in the state, with 138 patients reported as absconded, followed closely by Logan-Beaudesert with 110 patients.

Michael Tervit, the hospital’s mental health clinical director, said one month into the 2018-19 financial year, CHHHS had a rate of 1.6 Absent without Approval (AWA) patients per 1000, compared to the Queensland Health target of 4.1.

“The health service has made a focused, concerted effort to work with patients and educate staff in an effort to reduce AWAs,” he said.

“We are proud of the progress that has been made over the past four years, particularly the last 12 months.”

He said work to improve the unit’s safety record included a forum held in October last year to educate staff and develop improvements for the way they worked and interacted with patients.

“Other improvements include developing response plans for all patients identified as risk of AWA and discussing these plans with them, with the aim of improving a patient’s engagement and involvement in their care,” he said.