Mental patients are being forced to undergo treatment in Sydney. Source: Supplied
PATIENTS deemed unfit for society are flooding the Gold Coast to escape forced mental health treatment in Sydney.
Australian Clinical Psychological Association president Judy Hyde warned the majority of the patients would end up end up homeless in a bid to avoid detection.
Dr Hyde said the interstate patients were putting immense strain on police who were already forced to hunt down 302 people who disappeared from Gold Coast mental health facilities this year.
NEWS: LEGAL BATTLE OVER CURRUMBIN MOSQUE CONTINUES
They either escaped secure facilities or disappeared after booking leave to visit family.
To make matters worse, many of the patients were repeat offenders who had already escaped before.
More than 15 per cent of the patients, who are believed to be unstable, stayed missing for longer than a week.
The figures, which were detailed in the Director of Mental Health Annual Report, have sparked outrage within the medical community.
Dr Hyde said Queensland politicians had ignored the city’s mental health epidemic.
“Queensland is probably the worst place in Australia to be if you have mental health issues because they don’t recognise the difference between a trained and an untrained psychologists.
“Funding is very limited and to make matters worse, homeless people with mental health issues head to the Gold Coast because it is warm. There are too many sick people and not enough treatment options.”
Police Superintendent Des Lacy said mental health cases were difficult. Source: News Corp Australia
Gold Coast District Chief Superintendent Des Lacy said mental health cases were difficult and time-consuming.
“We get warrants from NSW and Victoria and we assist in the return of those patients because our main concern is the safety of the patients,” he said.
“We see those as a priority because we know the significant issues that can be caused with mental health patients out of care.
“Often times we have difficulties locating them because family members are torn between having their loved ones placed in a mental health facility and protecting their welfare.
“These people are not criminals — they are people who suffer from an illness and we support the health department in locating these people when necessary.”
Queensland Director of Mental Health William Kingswell said his department had been working to reducing missing patient numbers.
He said adult acute mental health facilities now operated as “locked units” and staff had been told to “manage entry and egress and ensure that patients and visitors are aware of these procedures and their rights”.
Mr Kingswell introduced the changes in December, 2013, when the number of patient escapes had reached 457 for the year on the Coast.
“A significant focus has been the implementation of strategies to reduce patient absent without
permission events, particularly from inpatient mental health facilities,” he said in the report.
“A critical element in reducing these events is improved clinical management, including strategies to prevent and or respond to absence without permission and the involvement of senior clinicians in decision making.”
Originally published as Coast overrun with mental patients