A psychiatric clinic in Western Australia has run into trouble.
The WA Health Department has withdrawn funding and will review the licence of Devenish Lodge, a private psychiatric hostel in Victoria Park, amid fears it is failing to care properly for its 40 patients.
The department said yesterday that it had been forced to withdraw its funding subsidy for the 41-bed lodge because it had failed to improve standards.
Chief psychiatrist Rowan Davidson said the department had been working with the hostel for the past two years to address concerns about the management of diabetic residents, assistance with hygiene and personal care.
But he said it had become apparent recently that the necessary changes had not been made at the hostel.
“The department had no choice but to stop the payment to the hostel, which derives the majority of its funding through the residents’ Commonwealth Government pensions,” Dr Davidson said.
“This is a very stressful time for the residents of Devenish Lodge and their families, and we have assured them that this action has been taken in an effort to improve their living standards.”
Dr Davidson said the department’s licensing standards and review unit was now assessing the hostel’s licence.
It remained willing to work with the facility to improve its standards of care.
In the meantime, the department was putting contingencies in place in case any of the residents wanted to move.
The West Australian contacted the hostel for comment yesterday but was told that the licensee, Dr Adrian Hobley, was unavailable to speak.
1 comment:
The facility should be closed if they are under review and have undertaken to care for their patients. The owners make money out of their patient which is a voiceless minority unable to defend themselves. That is what the role of the chief psychiatrist is, to ensure that all people suffering from mental ill health are protected from the shameless money makers. The CP stated that that facility was given two full years to correct its care procedures and didn’t. the patients and their families have been given the option to be moved to another facility that takes its responsibility to care and support the mentally ill. So tell me Fraud, how is this CP of WA acting badly. Perhaps you should investigate what the man actually does, and perhaps you will see that Dr Davidson never actions anything that is detrimental to those in his care as the Chief Psych of WA. I can assure you he takes his responsibilities seriously and loses sleep when he cant do more for the mentally ill
The Dr who runs the facility should be disbarred.
Vixen
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