The ‘Disgrace’ of mental health deaths in Western Australia

As reported in the West Australian News

An urgent inquiry is needed to explain alarming figures that reveal more than 3300 people receiving treatment in WA’s mental health system have died in the past four years, the Opposition says.

Shadow health minister Helen Morton, who raised the issue as a matter of urgency in State Parliament this week, said 660 mental health deaths were recorded in the past year — more than three times WA’s road toll.

She said a dire lack of resources was to blame for the “Statewide disgrace”.

Such a high death rate in a medical field which did not predominantly deal with emergency or terminal medicine or nursing home facilities was unacceptable, Ms Morton said.

Health Minister Jim McGinty said the death rate of people with a recognised mental health illness in WA had fallen 34 per cent from 1006 in 2003-04 to 660 in 2006-07. These conditions included dementia, mood disorders, schizophrenia, psychotic and personality illnesses, childhood and developmental conditions and disorders related to neurosis, stress and drugs and alcohol.

The number of unexplained deaths reported to WA’s Chief Psychiatrist almost doubled in the past two years with 62 deaths last year compared with 34 in 2004-05. The deaths were attributed to a number of possible causes including natural causes and physical disease.

Ms Morton was appalled Mr McGinty had attempted to turn the deaths of 660 people into a good news story, saying this was another example of his indifference, complacency and acceptance of a shocking reality.

She said Mr McGinty should step down as Health Minister and hand the portfolio to someone who could fix the shameful shortcomings.

“I’m just astounded that at least 12 people are dying a week … we need an open and independent investigation to find out how that rate compares, what are the causes, where are they dying — are they dying at home or are they dying at facilities — what are their ages, what are the other circumstances,” Ms Morton said.

In Parliament, Child Protection Minister Sue Ellery, who is parliamentary secretary to Mr McGinty, said out of those 660 mental health deaths last year, preliminary data showed 275 were caused by probable physical disorders, 375 from likely physical disease, seven from probable self-harm and three unknown.