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🇦🇺 Australia /Health & Science

Inquest hears Brisbane hospital's mental health unit was 'overcapacity' during patient suicides

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • An inquest is examining three patient suicides that occurred within seven months at a major Brisbane hospital's mental health unit.
  • The unit, which has 60 beds, was reportedly operating at "overcapacity all the time," with patients sometimes admitted to other wards.
  • Concerns were raised about the adequacy of mental health care, treatment, and staff workloads at the time of the deaths.

A coronial inquest is underway in Brisbane to investigate a cluster of three patient suicides within the mental health unit of The Prince Charles Hospital. The deaths of Barry Ellery, 77, Miranda Meyer, 37, and Kendal Quicke, 31, occurred between May and December 2023. Coroner Megan Fairweather is examining the mental health care and treatment provided by the Metro North Hospital and Health Service during that period.

During the inquest, a treating psychiatrist for one of the patients revealed that the mental health unit, which has two wings and 60 beds, was consistently "overcapacity." It was common for up to 12 mental health patients to be admitted to the thoracic ward at any given time in 2023. While improvements have since been made, including no longer using the thoracic ward for psychiatric patients, the unit still faces "a major problem with bed capacity," the psychiatrist stated, adding, "We can't meet the need in our catchment area."

overcapacity all the time

— Treating psychiatristDescribing the state of the mental health unit at The Prince Charles Hospital during the period of patient suicides.

The inquest also heard details of Ms. Quicke's care. The trainee psychiatrist involved in her case reported having an inpatient workload of 11 to 13 patients, significantly exceeding the recommended four to five. Although the trainee's workload has since eased, Ms. Quicke's case highlighted issues with communication. Despite her observations being changed to 15-minute intervals by nursing staff on November 5, neither the treating psychiatrist nor her trainee recalled being informed of this change before her suicide on November 12.

We can't meet the need in our catchment area.

— PsychiatristHighlighting the ongoing issue of insufficient bed capacity in the mental health unit.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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