Chief Psychiatrist's annual report 2008-09 - Department of Health

26 Chief Psychiatrist’s annual report 2008–09
5 Working with the sector
The Chief Psychiatrist undertakes a number of activities with the mental health service sector to
proactively and collaboratively address treatment and service system issues as part of a continuing
process of service improvement.
Clinical advice
As noted in the ‘Contacts, complaints and enquiries’ section of this report, mental health service
clinicians frequently contact the office seeking clinical advice, and this trend appears to be
increasing. Besides providing information and guidance, the Chief Psychiatrist’s capacity to mediate
service system issues such as inter-service and interstate transfers, and to facilitate access to
specialist services and encourage inter-service cooperation, can improve consumer outcomes by
making the best use of available resources in a service system facing high levels of demand. During
the reporting period, there were particular issues regarding access to secure extended care beds
by rural area mental health services and forensic mental health without this service component.
A number of meetings and service visits were carried out to negotiate more equitable access and
to support referral and discharge arrangements for out-of-area patients.
Authorised psychiatrists
Each approved mental health service must appoint an authorised psychiatrist, who is a qualified
psychiatrist employed by the health service 12 . The authorised psychiatrist has specific powers,
duties and functions under the Act including overall responsibility for the treatment and care
of persons in the mental health service, and the power to consent to treatment on behalf of an
involuntary patient. The authorised psychiatrist may also delegate any of their powers, duties and
functions under the Act to another qualified psychiatrist (known as a delegated psychiatrist), except
the power of delegation or the duty to provide the Forensic Leave Panel with information.
The Mental Health Review Board and the Secretary of the Department of Health must be notified
of each authorised psychiatrist’s appointment within five days. In practice, the Secretary delegates
this function to the Chief Psychiatrist. The Office of the Chief Psychiatrist maintains a register of all
authorised psychiatrists.
The Chief Psychiatrist also provides advice on the suitability of psychiatric qualifications obtained
by overseas trained psychiatrists to the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria in relation to their
registration as specialist psychiatrists.
12 Section 96, Mental Health Act.