CALL FOR AUDIT OF ALL SUICIDE DEATHS IN QUEENSLAND - SEPTEMBER 2007
The following letter was sent by the Gold Coast Medical Association Inc to The Hon. Stephen Robertson, Minister for Health and Ms Uschi Schreiber, Director-General of Health.
Dear Minister,
The Gold Coast Medical Association noted that the Queensland government and Department of Health is about to conduct an audit of all post operative deaths related to surgical procedures in public and private hospitals. We understand that the audit will be used to suggest ways of improving surgical services in this state.
In a similar fashion, the GCMA requests the government and Health Department to undertake an audit of all suicide deaths (inpatient and in the community) in Queensland over a one year period in order to suggest ways of improving mental health services to the community.
The audit should focus on the quality of treatment received (or not received) by suicide victims in the three month period before completed suicide. While suicide is a multi-determined behaviour, we believe that the quality of mental health services received by individuals has a significant impact on the outcome of mental illness and suicide.
We consider the treatment received by individuals in the period before completed suicide is often sub-optimal and this opinion is supported by the Queensland Health finding recently of 86 unexpected deaths (mainly by suicide) of mentally ill people treated by Queensland Health services.
Many of these deaths were among people who attended emergency departments, were not admitted, and committed suicide within a week. Another significant group was patients who completed suicide soon after discharge from a period of psychiatric hospitalisation.
We consider the acute psychiatric bed shortage in Queensland public hospitals contributes to this problem as patients who need admission cannot find a bed, and some patients are being discharged too quickly due to bed pressures.
An audit of suicide deaths would be able to clarify this situation along with identifying problems and deficiencies in other aspects of mental health services. The GCMA stands ready, willing and able to assist with an audit of this type. We look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Philip Morris
President GCMA
GOLD COAST MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED - MAY 2007
A public awareness campaign on mental health began on the Gold Coast in May.
Facilitated by the Gold Coast Medical Association, the five-pronged campaign comprised: the release of information in print and electronic media, ongoing articles in the Association’s Medical Link magazine, a mental health theme at the GCMA’s Health Expo held in May, free places for the public to be trained in the Australian National University’s Mental Health First Aid Course and sponsorship of a keynote speaker on ‘Preventing Mental Illness’ at the Gold Coast International Mental Health Conference held iin August.
President of the Gold Coast Medical Association, Dr Phillip Morris, said with mental health care in a state of crisis, a public awareness campaign was one of the best ways to educate the community on the issue.
“If we are going to push to improve the level of mental health services we need to start with increasing the level of community awareness first,” he said.
“Mental health is a complex issue that needs to be addressed on a number of levels. Through this campaign we aim to bring it out into the community and highlight the needs of both the mentally ill and those responsible for their care.”
Further details on each element of the campaign will be released in due course.
For further information, please phone Dr Philip Morris, Consultant Psychiatrist, on 07 5532 7655.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR THE GOLD COAST HOSPITAL - AUGUST 2006
Future Directions for the Gold Coast Hospital - this report was presented to the Beattie Government prior to the State Election by the following doctors on the GCMA Hospital Sub-committee: Geoffrey Adsett, John L. Corbett, Daniel De Viana, Mark Doudle, Robert Hitchins, David Lindsay, Bernie Mason, Robert McLaughlin, Alan Parnham, David Pincus Leigh Rutherford.
Future-Directions-for-the-Gold-Coast-Hospital.pdf
To view this file Adobe Acrobat Reader is required. 