Minister for Health and Wellbeing Stephen Wade says the state needs over 200 new beds after the release of the final report of the Oakden Oversight Committee, over a year since former Chief Psychiatrist Dr Aaron Groves’ review into the now-closed facility.
“It suggests that not only is there a need for 24 intensive beds in relation to dementia, but there’s a need for more than 150 beds for people with lower-severity dementia, and another 36 for people with enduring mental illness,” he said.
“When we closed Oakden, we lost more than 60 beds out of the (system).”
Northgate, the facility where the most ill patients at Oakden were transferred, has just 16 beds.
The Minister acknowledged some patients are being treated in facilities that were not “ideal” for their care and says older persons’ mental health services would be part of the State Budget announced on September 4.
This includes potentially providing services on the Repatriation General Hospital site after the Government terminated ACH’s contract to turn the site into an aged care precinct in May.
He didn’t say however how much the Government was willing to spend.
We’re guessing a lot.
