Plans for Bunbury youth mental health hub to take pressure off region’s hospitals and service wait lists

A new “one-stop shop” health hub earmarked for the South West could help prevent vulnerable young people in the region from “slipping through the cracks” and reduce pressure on emergency rooms and wait lists. GP Down South is planning to develop a Bunbury Health Hub aimed at co-locating youth mental health services to respond to health issues affecting young people, including mental health, suicide, drugs and alcohol. Planning for the hub is based on the existing Peel facility, which GP Down South board chair David Barton said had proven successful over the past three years. Mr Barton said the hub used a model of care that had experienced clinical care co-ordinators work with patients to assess their needs upon arrival and develop a care plan with them, rather than leave them without support while on a wait list. The Times reported last week that people living with mental health issues in the South West were being told they had to wait until 2022 to see a psychologist. Professor Alexandra McManus is working as an independent consultant hosting stakeholder workshops for the Bunbury hub and said mental health providers could not meet the ever-increasing demands of young people in the region. “Local health professionals have said they are struggling to meet the demands of young people with mental health issues in Bunbury, and those in outlying areas are at even greater risk as there are few if any specialised youth mental health services to support their clients,” she said. Mr Barton said a one-size-fits-all health approach did not work for young people, but a “wholistic and multi-disciplinary” approach would allow for wraparound support to help young people engage with the required services. Mr Barton said the hub — flagged for development at Hands Oval — would target 12 to 25-year-olds and provide a co-ordinated location with services that would help take pressure off wait lists and hospitals. “Some people fit the criteria to be hospitalised, but only a very small proportion,” he said. “A large proportion of people are best managed through other agencies who need to be able to collaborate to treat the individual. “The time on a wait list is a concern when the service might not be ideal to manage their issues in the end. With the hub, they will be able to access multiple services and find what’s right.” GP Down South will soon host its fourth stakeholder workshop to better understand the demand for services and help shape the most effective model for the hub. Discussions are ongoing with the State Government for funding.