The existing Banksia Mental Health Unit is a safe place to work and to get care, despite a dozen sexual safety incidents over a three-year period, the Minister for Mental Health told parliament last week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MLC Mark Banasiak took concerns about 13 "sexual safety incidents" at the mental health unit between 2016 and 2019 to the upper house on Tuesday.
Minister for Mental Health Bronwyn Taylor told parliament she'd not been made "directly aware" of the incidents, which she said related to "very serious issues".
"If there is anything that shows in those documents, then I will absolutely be dealing with them," she said.
A motion by Mr Banasiak forced government to make a range of documents, including the New England Clinical Services Plan (CSP) the primary planning document for the new Banksia Mental Health Unit, public this month.
The documents revealed there had been 13 sexual safety incidents at the unit, though they did not identify what the incidents were.
Read also:
On Tuesday, Mr Banasiak asked Minister Taylor what steps she had taken to monitor, or remedy incidents, or compensate people who had been victims of the incidents.
Ms Taylor told parliament the problem illustrates why there was a need for a new Banksia.
"I recognise that there have been issues at Banksia and that is exactly why we are building a new unit," she said.
"The current unit was built some time ago, and, like other older mental health units around the state, they are not conducive to the sort of practice and the sort of care that is expected from those units."
Nationals MLC Sam Farraway later clarified to parliament on behalf of the minister that the incident reports may refer to a range of activity, not always criminal.
"Sexual safety incidents are types of behaviour that can breach and/or compromise the sexual safety of a mental health consumer," he told parliament.
"This includes sexual assault and harassment, consensual sexual activity in an inappropriate context or setting, and sexually disinhibited behaviour.
"Sexual assault is a serious crime and NSW Health employees have an obligation to support and encourage victims of assault to make a report to the NSW Police Force."
He said the existing unit "continues to provide a safe environment" for patients.
The CSP documents released to parliament show the rundown condition of the Banksia building is a common theme in patient feedback, "despite the rigorous cleaning regime".
Patients and their advocates regularly complained the building is "gaol-like", "dirty" and "morbid and oppressive" the CSP shows.
Banksia has also recorded 66 "absconding incidents" from the unit since 2016, according to the CSP.
The Tamworth mental health unit is also overall non-compliant with the Australasian Health Facility Guidelines for Acute Mental Health Inpatient Units.
A spokesperson for NSW Health said the unit is a safe environment for patients, and has been upgraded and refurbished by HNELHD.
"The Banksia Unit was compliant with Australasian Health Facility Guidelines for Acute Mental Health Inpatient Units when it was first built," she said.
"The new Banksia Mental Health Unit is a great opportunity to ensure inpatient mental health services are provided in the most contemporary and appropriate environment into the future."
Hunter New England Health has "continued to upgrade and refurbish the current unit" most recently in 2019 which included major painting and refurbishments inside and outside, she said.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark northerndailyleader.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News