Parliamentary question without notice | Borderline Personality Disorder services
26/11/2013
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (15:22): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Mental Health questions regarding the provision of services in South Australia for people with borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Leave granted.
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: As you well know, Mr President, I have spoken in this place before more than once about borderline personality disorder (BPD) and the woeful lack of services and support we provide to people with BPD and their family carers in this state.
As these pleadings seem to have gone unheard, I would now like to point out that it is nearly two years since the state government’s expert reference group on borderline personality disorder reported, yet we are still waiting for the Minister for Mental Health to publish the recommendations the expert reference group made. They reported in January 2012.
It is now November 2013, and we have no report, nor is there implementation of any clinical guidelines for BPD, no specialist services for BPD added to South Australia Health’s repertoire, no opening of the specialist clinic similar to the one they have in Victoria (called SPECTRUM), and no easing of waiting lists for dialectic behavioural therapy. More than 15 years ago, the only ward available at the Glenside campus of the Royal Adelaide Hospital that was appropriate for treating BPD was closed.
In addition to there being no government response to their own expert reference group’s guidelines, we have seen no official response or adoption of a commonwealth report in this area, either. This Australian government report was published in February of this year by the National Health and Medical Research Council, and it is a comprehensive guide, titled Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Borderline Personality Disorder. There is a BPD prevalence in our population of about 1 to 2 per cent, so having adequate mental health services available in our community is essential. Accordingly, my questions are:
1.Does the minister intend to publicly publish this expert reference group’s report on BPD services in South Australia now that it is 23 months since his office was furnished with the report?
2.When does the minister intend to open a specialist service for BPD services, treatment, education, training and information in South Australia?
3.Why does the South Australian government continue to source BPD experts from interstate to manage severe BPD cases in this state rather than using our existing experts already present here?
4.When will the minister expand the availability of dialectical behavioural therapy service for South Australians with BPD?
5.What additional training do ER doctors, nurses and health practitioners receive to effectively and compassionately manage people with BPD presenting to emergency departments at our state’s hospitals?
6.When will SA Health adopt the recommendations listed in the National Health and Medical Research Council’s ‘Clinical practice guideline for the management of borderline personality disorder’?
7.Has the government or SA Health done a cost-benefit analysis to assess the cost of establishing a specialist BPD service (similar to SPECTRUM in Victoria) versus the current cost of people with BPD presenting to resource-intensive ERs?
The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:25): I thank the honourable member for her most important question on borderline personality disorder and expert reference groups. I cannot of course answer that question on behalf of the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, so I will pass it on to him and seek a response, but I need to put on the record, of course, this government’s commitment to the people in our community who are the most vulnerable.
It is this government that has gone forward with the most comprehensive reforms in the disability area that this state has ever seen. It is this government that has made the biggest investment through the budget in addressing the needs of people in our community with disabilities. It is this government that has driven significant mental health reforms through the system. We have rebuilt the hospital and a brand-new mental health service out at Glenside. We have taken the best services in regard to mental health out into the country areas.
It is this government that has actually announced today—or was it yesterday?—that we will be partnering with Treetops to have an autism-specific school and it is this government that has made all the big reforms in terms of our most vulnerable people in our community, be it mental health issues, be it disability issues or whatever. It is this government that has taken up the challenge. It is this government that has delivered and this government will always focus on those people who need the support of government the most.
The PRESIDENT: Supplementary, the Hon. Ms Vincent.
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (15:27): Can the minister clarify exactly how the opening of an autism-specific school, which we have also supported in Dignity for Disability, will assist people with borderline personality disorder or is he not aware of the difference between the two conditions?
The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:27): Mr President, I shake my head as well, frankly. This chamber should be, I think, welcoming of this government’s commitment to deal with these issues in the areas of mental health and disabilities in our schools and education systems and, whilst sometimes you may not want to hear about these wonderful commitments and success stories, I can assure you, I will always tell you.
The Hon. K.L. Vincent: My question was: what does that have to do with BPD?
The PRESIDENT: Do you have a further supplementary? No; you are finished.
