Psychiatric Hospitals

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Psychiatric Hospitals

Open Wards

• admission wards in local psychiatric hospitals

• increase in levels of morbidity & disturbance over past 20 years

• under staffed

• extreme pressure on beds

• rapid patient turnover

Local Locked (low secure) wards

• locked doors

• higher staffing than open

• intensive care function

• turnover weeks to months

• more civil orders

• general psychiatric hospitals

Medium security

• 1 to 3 units in each health region

• air locked entrances

• locked internal doors

• unbreakable windows

• secure garden areas

• high nurse : patient ratio

• control and restraint training

• minimal perimeter security

• Average stay up to 2 years

High security

• "grave and immediate danger to public"

• perimeter and extensive interior physical security

• Average length of stay 8 years

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