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| Sandra Kanck Deputy Leader Australian Democrats Member of the Legislative Council |
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Legislative
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| Sandra Kanck Deputy Leader Australian Democrats Member of the Legislative Council |
Parliament Index |
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POLICE SHOOTING - MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
The Hon. SANDRA KANCK: I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the Minister for Transport and Urban Planning, representing the Minister for Human Services, a question regarding the shooting by police of a young man at Novar Gardens on Saturday night.
Leave granted.The Hon. SANDRA KANCK: The tragic circumstances of Luke Donaghey's death on Saturday night raise a series of questions regarding the adequacy of emergency mental health services in South Australia. I have previously highlighted the severe constraints that the Assessment and Crisis Intervention Service (ACIS), the front-line provider of emergency psychiatric care, operates under. Four ACIS teams operate in metropolitan Adelaide. They are comprised of registered psychiatric nurses and social workers and have access to psychiatric doctors. The teams are understaffed and overworked, so they are unable to cope with the spiralling number of crisis calls.
In November last year the Human Services Minister acknowledged that there had been a 65 per cent increase in the number of emergency call-outs. This enormous increase has not been matched by an increase in funding; indeed, the mental health budget barely held its own this financial year. The lack of resources may have contributed to Saturday night's tragedy. Newspaper reports indicate that two years ago when that same young man suffered a psychotic episode an ACIS team and a police unit attended and Mr Donaghey was taken to hospital without any fuss. On Saturday night the police attended without the assistance of an ACIS team. It is unclear why the police did not have the benefit of an ACIS team.
We do know that the police spoke to Luke's parents before entering the house, hence we can assume that they were aware of his condition. We need to know why the officers entered the house without the assistance of an ACIS team. My questions to the Minister are: 1. Is ACIS routinely involved when police are confronted with situations involving people suffering from psychotic episodes or other forms of mental illness? 2. Is ACIS adequately resourced to provide routine assistance to police? 3. Was an ACIS team requested to attend the Donaghey home on Saturday night? 4. Had a request for an ACIS team been made, would one have been available?The Hon. DIANA LAIDLAW: I note that the honourable member has reached some considerable conclusions in her explanation about the circumstances of this most unfortunate event—the death of a young man. I would urge—and I suspect the Attorney-General would, too—that, because it is the subject of a police commissioner's inquiry and also a coronial inquiry, we do not reach such conclusions without the benefit of the findings from those investigations. The other—
The Hon. Sandra Kanck interjecting: The Hon. DIANA LAIDLAW: Yes, but the honourable member has reached some conclusions that may not be valid and certainly may reflect on those inquiries, and I am not sure that that is what the honourable member necessarily wishes to do. With those general remarks, I certainly will pass the specific questions to the Minister and bring back a reply.Read the Government's reply: 28 September 1999
