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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 14 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 4423 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

I want all mental health staff, in particular Brian Jacobs and Associate Professor Cathy Owen, to accept my personal thanks for the work they do and know that we are here to support them.

My hope in releasing this risk report is that it will be a resource for mental health staff to improve their practices and better describe shortfalls in the system. In this light, the report should be regarded as a lever for mental health staff and services to better argue their case for getting the share of community taxes they need to do their jobs well.

Many consumers and carers expressed gratitude for the treatment and care provided in both ongoing and crisis services. The risk report also identified some real strengths in information systems, including assessment processes. These findings reflect the efforts made by mental health services over the past five years to raise the standard of treatment and care provided, particularly for those with severe mental illness.

However, the report also notes a level of inconsistency in service provision, meaning that consumers and carers may not always receive the high level of care they are entitled to expect. Consumers and carers have expressed concern in particular about collaboration in care planning, delivery and review.

In response to this finding, several steps have already been taken. Mental Health ACT is adapting its clinical database to enable consumers and carers to make contributions to the clinical file. The protocol regarding assessment practices is being more closely monitored. These measures will ensure that inconsistencies in practice will be identified and actions can be taken to overcome them.

In addition to this, information and resources provided to consumers and carers, and processes to include them in service planning and evaluation, will be further enhanced to ensure that their needs and expectations are better met. Mental Health ACT is also further developing staff training and clinical supervision programs to ensure that staff have the skills to better collaborate with consumers and carers.

The risk report suggests that legislative changes may be necessary. These will be considered during the development of amendments to the Mental Health (Treatment and Care) Act. Community consultation regarding these amendments will be undertaken in 2003. Similarly, the provisions of the Health Records (Privacy and Access) Act 1997 will also be subject to review.

The third issue raised in the report is the lack of integration in service delivery. This has a serious impact on the ability of consumers and families to access the services they need when they need them. The lack of integration of service delivery is closely linked with concerns regarding the consistency of services provided. This has been a criticism of mental health services for several years. It was not until my government restructured the health portfolio governance arrangements and established Mental Health ACT that this issue was properly addressed.

The establishment of a single point of accountability for policy, planning, service development and delivery aims to avoid duplication and competition and enhance outcomes for consumers and carers. However, these structural changes will only be part of the solution to the problem of lack of integration. A number of changes have already

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