Number of specialised mental health public hospital beds
Between 1992-93 and 2019-20 Queensland recorded a reduction in mental health public hospital beds of around 300 (from 1,600 to 1,312 beds). Measured by 100,000 population, the reduction was over 50 per cent – from 52.6 to 25.5 beds per 100,000 in the same period. And just in the last 5 years (2015-16 to 2019-20) the number of beds reduced from 31 to 25.5 per 100,000 population, a 4.7 per cent average annual reduction.53
Number of specialised mental health public hospital beds - Queensland
Graph: Number of mental health public hospital beds Queensland. Source: AIHW data: Specialised mental health care facilities tables 2019-20. Table FAC.13.
Mental health emergency department presentations
In Queensland the number of emergency department presentations per 10,000 population more than doubled, from 55.2 in 2004-05 to 125.7 in 2020-21.
Rate of ED presentations per 10,000 population - Queensland
Graph: ED presentations per 10,000 population Queensland. Source: AIHW data Mental Health Services Provided in emergency departments data tables 2020-21
Similar to trends in other states, in Queensland the only triage categories that have been trending down are for semi-urgent (to be seen within one hour) and non-urgent (to be seen within two hours).
Mental health related emergency department presentations in public hospitals by triage category 2015-16 to 2020-21 in Queensland - per cent
Graph: Mental health-related emergency department presentations in public hospitals, by triage category, per cent Queensland. Source: AIHW Data: Mental Health Services Provided in emergency departments data tables 2015-16 to 2020–21
Emergency department mental health treatment times – ED length of stay
In Queensland in 2020-21 ED median length of stay for all mental health presentations was 3 hours and 37 minutes. For presentations ending in admissions, median length of stay was 4 hours and 1 minute. 90th percentile length of stay for mental health presentations ending in admissions was 12 hours and 37 minutes. Queensland is one of the best performers in this category.
Source: AIHW Data: Mental Health Services Provided in emergency departments data tables 2016-17 to 2020-21
Emergency department mental health presentations – ambulance arrival
In the 5-year period since 2016 in Queensland, while the number of overall emergency department presentations with ambulance as the mode of arrival reduced by 1.15 per cent, the number of mental health ED presentations with ambulance as the mode of arrival increased by 9.7 per cent.
More than one in two patients who present to EDs for mental health conditions, arrive there via ambulance.
Translated in real numbers, in 2020-21 Queensland emergency departments had 65,270 mental health presentations, 57.4 per cent of which – 37,465, arrived by ambulance.
Mental health presentations ambulance arrival mode - Queensland
Graph: Mental health ED Presentations ambulance arrival mode. Source: AIHW Data Mental Health Services Provided in emergency departments data tables 2016-17 to 2020-21
Overnight admitted mental health care
In Queensland, average length of stay for mental health patients in public hospitals is along the lines of the national average.
Average length of stay for mental health patients in public hospitals - Queensland
Graph: Average length of stay for mental health patients in public hospitals. Source: AIHW 2022. Web report: Mental Health Services in Australia. Overnight admitted mental health care. Overnight admitted mental health related care tables, Table ON.1
Sources
53AIHW 2022. Specialised mental health care facilities tables 2019-20. Table FAC.13. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services/mental-health-services-in-australia/report-content/specialised-facilities
54AIHW 2022. Mental Health Services Provided in Emergency Departments. Table ED.17: Mental health-related emergency department presentations in public hospitals, statistics for length of stay by states and territories, 2020–21