- Cook
Government signs lease for former Bethesda Mental Health Clinic building
- Will
deliver more public mental health beds in the southern suburbs
- Purpose-built
Cockburn facility to be run by South Metropolitan Health Service
- Part
of Government's commitment to expanding access to mental health care
The
Cook Government has entered into a three-year agreement to lease the Mental
Health Clinic previously operated by Bethesda, delivering a boost to public
mental health services in the southern suburbs.
South
Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) will operate the state-of-the-art,
purpose-built facility in Cockburn, with services to progressively commence at
the clinic in the coming weeks.
Under
SMHS's management, initial planned services will include two floors dedicated to
a women's mental health facility, with a particular focus on eating disorder
services, and mixed-gender Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) and addiction
withdrawal services.
It's
expected a number of the clinic's existing outpatient psychiatric services will
continue to be provided, including models of care tailored to veterans and
first responders.
As
well as 75-beds, the clinic features a mental health wellness and recovery
centre to provide outpatient therapies and specialist consulting suites.
Earlier
this year, Bethesda announced it would cease operating its private mental
health clinic on 23 February 2024.
SMHS has recruited staff from the Bethesda clinic to roles
with the public health service.
Improving
access to mental health care, both acute and community services, is a key
priority of the Cook Government.
Public
mental health services in the southern metropolitan region continue to be
provided at Fiona Stanley Hospital, Fremantle Hospital and Rockingham General
Hospital.
Construction is also underway on 40 additional mental
health beds at Fremantle Hospital as part of a $63 million redevelopment.
Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:
"My Government is committed to boosting access to mental
health services and this clinic in Cockburn will be an important asset to our
public health system.
"Importantly, initial service offerings will include two
floors dedicated to women only, with a focus on providing eating disorder
treatment services.
"Veterans and first responders will also continue to be
looked after at the clinic and all staff who were working for the previous
operator have been invited to join SMHS."
Comments attributed to Mental Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
"Improving access to every kind
of mental health service is a key priority for the Cook Government and this
lease will provide an immediate uplift to public mental health beds.
"The Cockburn Clinic is a
state-of-the-art purpose-built facility that, under this agreement, will
continue to benefit Western Australian patients in the southern suburbs and
across the broader metropolitan area.
"All existing staff have been
given the opportunity to take up roles with SMHS to work at the clinic or other
important public health care facilities."
Comments attributed to Cockburn MLA David Scaife:
"I have visited this clinic and seen first-hand the fantastic facilities
that it offers patients.
"This 75-bed facility is an important asset to Cockburn and this lease
will ensure it will continue to operate, under a new model, for the benefit of
our community.
"Access to appropriate mental health care is so important and I am proud
to be part of a Government that is committed to boosting services in our area."
