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“The after hours care is at a time of day where both police and paramedics operate at a bare minimum and it is a real prospect that Hamilton will be exposed (without these services) for extensive periods of time.”
– Shadow mental health parliamentary secretary, Wade Noonan.
MENTALLY ill patients in Hamilton suffering an acute episode will have to be transported to Warrnambool or assessed via video link, when a “critical” service is axed in April.
It will fall on local police and paramedics to carry the burden, putting further strain “on already stretched services”.
Mental health officers in Hamilton, Portland and Camperdown will no longer be available after hours, due to South West Healthcare’s decision to cut the service, which costs $275,000 per year.
This follows speculation of such cuts, last week.
Full story in the Spectator on Thursday, February 14, 2013
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