This fact sheet outlines the actions being undertaken by NSW Health to improve data collection and transparency in mental health care following the Review of seclusion, restraint and observation of consumers with a mental illness in NSW Health facilities.
Following the ‘Review of seclusion, restraint and observation of consumers with a mental illness in NSW Health facilities’, we will implement the following recommendations.
To lead change in the use of restrictive practices, services need frequent and up-to-date local reports at the unit level. This will enable staff, consumers, carers and families to access seclusion and restraint data to guide quality improvement.
NSW Health has not had a statewide reporting system for seclusion and restraint in emergency departments. This will change. Improved data collection and reporting will allow emergency departments to compare their performance with others and track changes over time.
Data helps us to keep track of changes in the use of seclusion and restraint. Having information available helps monitor progress towards the elimination of seclusion and restraint and is necessary for quality improvement.
NSW Health began routine collection and reporting of seclusion data in mental health units in 2008, using a nationally agreed definition. NSW Health began collecting and reporting of restraint in mental health units in 2013.
NSW seclusion performance in mental health units is publicly reported in the NSW Health annual report and the Bureau of Health Information’s Healthcare in Focus report. Seclusion and restraint data for each state and territory is also now published publicly by the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare on the Mental Health Services in Australia website.