MEDICUS May 2022

H E A L T H W A T C H Still a long way to go The number of mental health patients who have spent more than 24 hours in ED has dropped in the first quarter of 2022 F or years, WA’s public hospital system has failed to provide optimal bed numbers and staffing levels. There are many consequences that flow from such shortages – ambulance ramping, increased waiting times for elective surgery and increased length of episode. WA’s 2019-20 State Budget papers highlighted a serious issue within our State’s public hospital emergency departments, noting: “Patient flow reports indicate a small number of mental health patients wait an extended period of time for a specialised mental health bed when presenting at hospital emergency departments (EDs).” Over the past few years, Health Watch has extensively reported on what we view as an unacceptably high number of mental health patients spending more than 24 hours in EDs. To mark the release of WA’s 2022-23 State Budget, we have decided to revisit the aforementioned 2019-20 State Budget concern to assess what impact political resolve has had on the experience of mental health patients in WA's EDs. The good news first. WA ED mental health attendances in the first quarter of 2022 have decreased by 7.6 per cent, compared with the same period in 2020. However, WA ED mental health attendees with a length of episode of more than 24 hours, have increased by 11.7 per cent. It should be noted that this remains a welcome reduction from the unacceptably high number of mental health patients, who spent more than 24 hours in EDs in 2021. The recent State Budget announcement of approved infrastructure works for 147 new mental health inpatient beds is good news. Further investment in WA’s health system, including funding to increase acute and community mental health capacity, and strategies to alleviate demand on WA’s EDs, will help address the problem, which has long been highlighted as an issue. ■ Mental health attendances with LOE > 24 hrs Mental health attendances – Hours spent in ED 2020 Quarter 1 2021 Quarter 1 2022 Quarter 1 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 No. of patients 2020 Quarter 1 2021 Quarter 1 2022 Quarter 1 140,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0 Hours 10 M E D I C U S M AY 2 0 2 2