Hedland Health Campus death: Chilling SOS before woman took her own life in hospital

An Indigenous woman from Hedland who tragically took her own life inside the Pilbara town’s hospital had vented her frustration on social media only two years earlier over a lack of mental health services in the region. The North West Telegraph on July 7 revealed the woman — who was a known suicide risk — was taken to the Hedland Health Campus by family members before being placed into a side room at the facility and left alone, where she ended her own life. It is unclear exactly for how long the woman was left by herself. But the tragic discovery was made when staff returned to the room. In a chilling precursor to the tragedy, the woman posted a heartfelt plea in 2020 for more mental health services in the town. “We need more help and support. I have spent a few times in Hedland Hospital and meet quite a few people in there for mental health issues with self harm,” the post started. “Seen so much pain and how they try get more help, to be told six-month waiting period unless u have top hospital cover to go into a private clinic. “There is no help up here, you have to go to Perth and with this takes people local away from family for months at a time. “I’m not ashamed to say, I have had my fair share of mental health issues. “But the Government needs to give more to our remote communities, especially in towns with high suicide, drug abuse like ours. “I hope our system can and is ready to help everyone that has been affected today.” Shadow health minister Libby Mettam called on the State Government to be “be open and transparent” about the circumstances of the death. “It’s deeply distressing to hear of this woman’s appeals for help dating back two years and it must be incredibly heartbreaking for her family and friends given the tragic circumstances of her death,” “It shines a spotlight, yet again, on the significant gap in services between metropolitan and regional WA. “Travelling to Perth from the regions cannot and should not be the only option for those living regionally to access adequate mental health services. “It is not only putting significant strain and undue extra stress on those suffering mental health illnesses and their families but also on health staff and other professionals such as police and teachers who inevitably take on extra responsibilities in these country areas in the absence of adequate early intervention and mental health support services.” Australian Medical Association (WA) president Mark Duncan-Smith said he was unaware of the specifics of the incident but that staffing of hospitals across regional WA — and especially in the North West — had been an issue for some time. Figures tabled in Parliament reveal the number of Severity Code Assessment 1 incidents at Hedland Health Campus had quadrupled from two in 2018-19 to eight in 2020-21. SAC1s are defined as clinical incidents “that have or could have (near miss) caused serious harm or death that is attributable to health care provision (or lack thereof) rather than the patient’s underlying condition or illness.” While the deceased woman was an adult, Parliament has also heard the number of children presenting to Hedland Health Campus with a mental health issue rose from 96 in 2018-19 to 118 in 2022-21. Some 43 kids had visited the hospital for mental health treatment between July 1 and October 26 last year — placing the hospital on track for nearly 130 presentations in 2022-23 and pointing to increasing demand. Other figures tabled in Parliament in March revealed how long primary school-aged children in the regions were waiting to get their first appointment with a clinical psychologist. The Pilbara had the longest median wait time of 344 days, followed by 167 days in the Great Southern, 123.5 days in the Goldfields and 67 days in the Midwest. Staff at the hospital walked off the job in protest against severe rostering shortages last August, protesting against excessive hours, fatigue and burnout. In October, the WACHS midwifery coordinator emailed maternity staff with a “super urgent shout out for midwives for the Pilbara”. “I know you are all strapped but if there are any midwives, or yourselves, interested in short term deployment to Karratha or Hedland from Nov 8 – travel, accommodation and site allowances apply,” the email read. “They are at imminent risk of service failure, name your term.” National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project national coordinator Gerry Georgatos called for immediate State Government action to address what he said was a “mental health crisis”. “The tragic death of this young lady needs to lead to systemic change, and it needs to happen now,” he said. “The sad fact of the matter is this isn’t an isolated incident. You are hearing of this because of the reporting, but there are many other cases like this. “The State Government needs to make addressing mental health problems in the regions — especially the Pilbara — one of their top priorities.” WA Country Health Service has confirmed a “full and thorough” investigation into the woman’s death is currently underway, while a Hedland Health Campus spokeswoman said it would not comment on the case. Rural Link (After hours’ mental health telephone service): 1800 552 002 (Toll Free) or 1800 720 101 (TTY) Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800 Lifeline: 13 11 14 Men’s Line Australia: 1300 789 978 Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636