Concerns were raised before hospital deaths report, says expert
By Savannah Meacham and Fraser Barton
Concerns were raised years before a review found inadequate staffing contributed to deaths at a mental health unit deemed no longer fit for purpose, an expert says.
Three people died by suicide and two survived attempts at Prince Charles Hospital’s mental health unit in Brisbane between December 2022 and April 2024, triggering the independent review.
The review found staffing was an issue at the Prince Charles Hospital’s unit, with a worrying rate of vacancies in some roles.
It found that, at two psychiatric wards at the hospital, there were staff shortages and inpatient facilities were “no longer fit for purpose” to meet current guidelines for a mental health unit.
The Queensland government said it would adopt some of the 22 recommendations handed down by the review, which was publicly released on August 30, committing $10 million.
But the national psychiatrists group believes $300 million more will have to be spent by the government to upgrade mental health wards not only in Brisbane but across Queensland.
Professor Brett Emmerson says $300 million will have to be spent.Credit: Fairfax
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) on Thursday said it had raised mental health services concerns with the state government years ago.
“(In 2022) we needed $750 million of new money. We said we needed 500 additional beds and a couple of thousand more specialist community mental health services,” RANZCP Queensland president Professor Brett Emmerson said.
He said concerns were again raised with the state government in the past couple of months and they were told “it’s on the list” but action had not been taken.
“It’s not a top priority for the state government or the federal government – they get embarrassed into sort of doing something,” Emmerson said of mental health services assistance.
“The resources that are there are just not sufficient. I think the current government has given us about 60 per cent of the resources that we need.”
He said the state government was “playing catch-up” with mental health staffing and infrastructure, claiming $300 million in additional funding would be required to upgrade services.
Emmerson said the Miles government should consider raising the payroll tax levy, which helps fund Queensland’s mental health services.
The review found staffing was an issue at the Prince Charles Hospital’s unit, with a “concerning” rate of vacancies in some roles including inpatient nursing, multidisciplinary positions in acute-care teams, and medical officers.
The review said the facility had been under significant prolonged demand and would not be able to address the issues given its existing governance and workforce limitations.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman on Thursday said addressing staffing issues was already a priority for the hospital, conceding it was a factor in the deaths.
“We’re hiring more staff all of the time but certainly that was a factor in the tragic deaths of these patients but that’s why we’re hiring 60 new staff here,” Fentiman told reporters.
“The recommendations really focused on making sure that the built environment was safe and suitable, that we had models of care that were contemporary and therapeutic – and that is exactly what is happening here.”
The review also found the hospital unit lacked “meaningful therapeutic programs” including access to recreational and group activities, and there were few outdoor spaces.
“[The facility is] not conducive to mental health recovery and wellbeing for consumers, and they pose a number of potential safety and ligature risks for both consumers and staff,” it said.
The government on Thursday opened the new $14 million mental health stabilisation unit at Prince Charles Hospital.
The facility is intended to provide an alternate space for paramedics to bring someone experiencing a mental health episode instead of the emergency department.
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