By Aneeka Simonis
VIOLENT and unstable patients are leaving hospital unnoticed, tying up police resources in what’s been described as a loophole in the Mental Health Act 2014.
An emergency service worker who oversees the Cardinia, Casey and Dandenong areas has called for the legislation to be reviewed to protect public safety.
But the State Government has made clear there will no review.
The emergency responder, who did not wish to be named, proposed patients apprehended and taken to hospital by police should be admitted involuntarily until they are assessed by medical staff.
Under the Act, patients have the right to be admitted voluntarily, even those identified by police as exhibiting signs of instability or aggression which pose possible risks to the public.
This needs to change, according the source.
“Patients have the freedom to walk out and do whatever they want or just leave,” he said.
“This puts pressure on the police to recapture the patient and then take them back to hospital involuntarily.
“It’s a problem. Patients should be automatically made involuntarily for a certain amount of time to prevent people from walking out so they can be assessed.”
A spokesperson for the Minister for Mental Health Martin Foley said the Act was “consistent with the government’s commitment to human rights” and that decisions about patient treatment were assessed on a case-by-case basis.
“The decision on whether a person requires involuntary treatment is a clinical decision made by a psychiatrist and reviewed by an independent tribunal,” the spokesperson said.
Victoria Legal Aid’s Mental Health and Disability Advocacy Program manager Christopher Povey said working with patients in crisis on a voluntary basis helped foster better relationships between them and mental health staff.
“Victoria Legal Aid supports measures that help people to retain their dignity and receive the care they need at these times of crisis,” Mr Povey said.
He called for greater co-operation between hospital staff and police.
“Stronger collaborative relationships between police and front line mental health staff in hospitals and mental health services would assist in delivering a more responsive service to people who are distressed and taken to emergency departments in police custody.”
Casey Hospital has been criticised for its management of difficult patients, particularly during patient handovers with police.
Flaws with its security arrangements have also been highlighted as a recurring issue between the agencies, with reports police are being tied up for hours at a time waiting for a patient to be seen by medical staff.
Victoria Police Association secretary Ron Iddles acknowledged police will always have a role to play when dealing with offenders who are unstable of aggressive, but the current system is flawed and needs to be reviewed.
“The current system does not make for either a safe nor expedient process for both police and hospital staff alike.
“It also serves to tie up multiple police units for inordinate periods of time, which is something the community could ill-afford given existing staff shortages at most police stations.
“This is another reason we need more police”.
An unruly patient caused significant damage to Dandenong Hospital after setting off the sprinkler system with a cigarette lighter, according to the source.
The emergency worker was made aware of the incident after a hospital staff member raised concerns such an incident could deactivate the hospital’s security system, enabling patients to leave secured areas of the hospital.
Monash Health did not provide a comment about the reported incident, but provided a written statement saying the hospital takes patient and staff safety “extremely seriously.”
Last year, police were called to transfer almost 900 patients to hospital from the Cardinia, Casey and Dandenong areas.
