Membership of new Mental Health Review Board announced

29/11/97

Health Minister Kevin Prince today announced the membership of the newly-established Mental Health Review Board and the new director of the Office of Health Review.

Neville Barber, a lawyer employed within the legal services branch of the Health Department of Western Australia who also played a major role in the drafting of the State's ground-breaking Mental Health Act 1996, has been appointed president of the Mental Health Review Board.

Other board members include psychiatrists Dr Jeremy Hyde and Dr Hugh Cook, lawyers Hannah Leslie and Stephen Walker, and community representatives Lynne McGuigan and Jacqueline Goodall.

Mr Barber has a one-year interim appointment and other members terms range from two to three years.

"The diversity of representatives on the board will ensure the proper care and treatment of mental health patients in this State," Mr Prince said.

"The role of the board will be to review the status of all involuntary patients detained under the Act within eight weeks of detainment and inquire into complaints by involuntary patients.

"People with a mental illness can be confident that the board, which will report to me, will act in a professional and proper manner."

Dr Hyde is currently a consultant psychiatrist at the Inner City Community Mental Health Service and Dr Cook, who is chairman of the WA Branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and the Youth Suicide Advisory Committee, is a consultant psychiatrist at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children.

Mrs Leslie, a barrister, is a part-time member of the Guardianship and Administration Board, while Mr Walker is a solo practitioner based at Fremantle.

Ms McGuigan is a consultant specialising in strategic policy, planning and management and Mrs Goodall is a project officer for the Mental Health Division consumer and Carer Participation Working Party.

Mr Prince said Mr David Kerslake, who was currently an assistant commissioner with the Australian Electoral Commission in Canberra, had been appointed director of the Office of Health Review.

He would take up the position in January.

The Office of Health Review, which was established in September last year by the State Government, provides a forum to review services provided by private hospitals and doctors, as well as public hospitals and publicly-funded health services.

Mr Kerslake has Honours degrees in Arts and Law and has previously occupied senior positions with both the Commonwealth Ombudsman, where he was the director of investigations and the Tasmanian Ombudsman, where he held the office of deputy ombudsman.

Media contact: Kirsten Stoney 9221 1377