More adult mental health beds, but less for children

Part of the expansion of Fremantle Hospital, the centre adds 40 more mental health beds to the public system.

It is hoped the purpose-built centre will offer an alternative to already stretched emergency departments for people experiencing mental health distress.

It will provide prompt assessment, intervention, and support to ensure people can access care when they need it, the state government said in a statement.

It will also support new referral pathways for ambulance services, police, and hospital emergency departments in a bid to reduce demand on emergency departments in Perth's southern suburbs.

As part of the 40 beds, there will be 10 open beds and a 20-bed secure mental health ward, alongside a new neurobehavioural unit for older adults.

Health Minister Meredith Hammat said the facility would help deliver better outcomes for patients.

“WA's first 24/7 mental health crisis centre offers an important alternative to an emergency department for people experiencing mental health distress, ensuring they can receive prompt support in a purpose-built environment,” she said.

An example of what patient rooms will look like at the 24/7 mental health crisis centre.

The availability of mental health beds in WA has increased over the last decade from 678 in 2008/09 to 856 in 2022/23.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) data show there were 895 specialised mental health beds in 2023/24, the equivalent of 30 beds per 100,000 people.

The AMA has previously warned that the number of mental health beds available had only kept pace with the state’s population increase. However, WA still sits above the national average of 29 beds available per 100,000 people.

The number of people attending emergency departments for mental health reasons has also increased over the past decade from 103 to 122 presentations per 10,000, according to AIHW data.

In 2024/25 there were 36,799 mental health emergency department presentations in WA.

The AMA reports these presentations were as low as 67 per 10,000 in 2009/10. The state once had the lowest rate of presentations per person but now sits fourth highest in the country.

Cuts to child mental health

At the same time the state government is adding more beds to support adults experiencing mental distress, reports have emerged that inpatient mental health capacity for children is being reduced.

The number of inpatient mental health beds at Perth Children’s Hospital is expected to reduce from 20 to 16 once a refurbishment of the hospital is complete.

AMA (WA) President Dr Kyle Hoath, who is also a psychiatrist, said the decision was hard to justify at a time when demand for child and adolescent mental health services was overwhelming the system.

He raised specific concerns that reported bed availability figures were not reflective of the experiences of clinicians.

“Our members have raised concerns that reported bed availability figures include patients who are on overnight leave,” Dr Hoath said.

“While those patients may be temporarily absent from the ward, their beds cannot simply be allocated to another patient. Presenting these beds as available risks creates a misleading picture of actual capacity within the service.”

Ward 5A at PCH is the state’s principal inpatient mental health unit for children and younger adolescents.

“For many families, the emergency department has become the only place they can turn when a young person is experiencing a mental health crisis,” Dr Hoath added.

“We know there are families presenting to PCH seeking urgent help who cannot access an inpatient bed because capacity is already stretched.”

AMA (WA) has called on CAHS to consult with clinicians before finalising any reduction to bed numbers.

A spokesperson for CAHS said the reconfigured space at the hospital would include more therapeutic and activity spaces.

“During the refurbishment there is no impact to paediatric mental health bed capacity at Perth Children’s Hospital,” they said.

“The number of beds currently in use varies daily to meet the needs of young people in our community.

“CAHS is committed to delivering and expanding specialised mental health services to support children and young people in the community.”

They did not provide comment on whether clinicians would be consulted on changes.