Stokes review

In July 2012, Professor Bryant Stokes delivered a report to the Western Australian Government into admission, transfer and discharge practices in public mental health services within Western Australia. This review, known as the Stokes Review, was jointly commissioned by the Mental Health Commission and the Department of Health in November 2011, with a view to ensuring that effective services, policies and practices are in place and consistently implemented.

The Stokes Review revealed a number of issues and challenges for mental health care in WA and made 117 recommendations listed under nine theme areas.

The recommendation themes were:

Governance
Patients
Carers and families
Clinicians and professional development
Beds and clinical services plan

Office of the Chief Psychiatrist
Acute issues and suicide prevention
Children and Youth
Judicial and criminal justice system

The Stokes Review noted that mental health staff are committed to providing high quality care but that the system is under considerable stress, with growing demand and modest resources meaning mental health clinicians are sometimes overworked, preventing consistent service delivery. It was also noted that the all-encompassing and multifaceted nature of psychiatric illness and required support and care is not the responsibility of any one person, service or agency.

The recommendations contained in the Stokes Review were broadly supported by the Western Australian Government. The official Government Response document was released and carriage of implementation of the recommendations was undertaken through an executive steering committee, known as the Implementation Partnership Group (IPG).

Progress has continued through the Department of Health (DoH) and the Mental Health Commission, together with other key stakeholders from government and non-government sectors to achieve implementation of the recommendations.