Secure wing at Graylands Hospital ready October 25

10/10/93

The new secure wing at Graylands Hospital - the Frankland Centre - will be ready to admit mentally ill forensic patients on October 25.

Health Minister Peter Foss said a number of forensic patients and other mentally ill offenders, who were already at Graylands Hospital under its current admission policy, would be moved into the new unit at that time.

"The Frankland Centre is a purpose-built facility for the care of forensic patients and other mentally ill offenders who need treatment at Graylands Hospital," Mr Foss said.

"Their care will be undertaken by a specially trained group of clinicians with expertise and skill in treating mentally ill offenders.

"Forensic patients and other mentally ill offenders will be admitted to the Frankland Centre only if they have a psychiatric illness which can be treated in a hospital setting.  Patients like these have been cared for since 1905.

"It is important to note that only mentally ill offenders who are diagnosed as suffering from a psychiatric illness will be admitted to the Frankland Centre.

"Those with a psychopathic personality disorder who do not have a treatable psychiatric illness will not be considered for admission.

"I promised that no category of patient would be moved into the Frankland Centre until the community had been consulted about the proposed guidelines which would control the admission of forensic patients, and I stand by that promise.

"No person will be admitted unless they would previously have qualified for admission to the old facility.

"We will take out newspaper advertisements calling for submissions on the proposed guidelines and have provided information to the news media, in addition to letters and pamphlet drops to interested parties."

Anyone who would like to comment on the proposed guidelines should contact the office of the Director, Psychiatric Services at the Health Department of WA, 189 Royal Street, East Perth 6004, or call 222 2465 for more information and a copy of the guidelines.

The deadline for comment is November 30, 1993.

Mr Foss said the proposed guidelines would apply until July 1, 1994, when they would be reviewed by the Health Department and the Ministry of Justice, and any recommendations for change presented to the respective Ministers.

Media contact: Jeanne Klener 325 8655 or 222 9595

Lachlan McCrudden - Health Dept 222 4040

NOTE:

A forensic patient is someone who has been found by a court to be not of sound mind and who has been ordered to be kept in custody.

In essence, the proposed guidelines for admission to the Frankland Centre require that people may be admitted as forensic patients only when:

·       the admission has been recommended by the principal forensic psychiatrist and endorsed by both the superintendent of Graylands Hospital and the Health Department's director of psychiatric services;

·       the Minister for Health has endorsed the recommendation and recommended the person's admission to the Attorney-General, and

·       the Governor in Executive Council (the highest Government executive in the State) has agreed to the admission and for the reduction of terms of custody from strict custody to safe custody (if this is required).

Offenders will NOT be admitted to the Frankland Centre or kept there just because they have to be held in custody.  When the principal forensic psychiatrist believes a forensic patient no longer requires treatment or rehabilitation, there is a proper process for the person to be returned to a correctional facility.