There are concerns that negative reporting can paint a picture of no support and therefore people won’t seek help. 

This is not the case for Northern Tasmania. There are support services online, via phone and face to face. And of course emergency services with the hospital.

The shortcomings of mental health in Tasmania, and in particular Northern Tasmania, is systemic.

This was highlighted recently by Karalyn Hingston, who bravely shared her story of seeking help for mental ill-health. When Ms Hingston shared her story in April 2017, it highlighted missed opportunities and deficiencies when it came to access and assessment of mental ill-health.

Despite these issues, Ms Hingston is happier and healthier today than ever before.

The support is there. And that is an important point –  we must always mention support when we ask our family, friends and colleagues if they are OK.

The case of an adolescent at the Launceston General Hospital is an example of what we already knew.

The process of supporting adolescents experiences mental ill-health is not perfect. The delays cause extreme distress for all involved – the patient, their family and staff.

We must move pass the heartbreak and anger when you hear the story of this adolescent.

Instead, we have to look at the solution to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

It’s not a case of clicking fingers and an adolescent mental health facility appearing in Launceston. However, it is happening. The upgrades to the children’s ward will have facilities for inpatient mental health facilities for the first time in Tasmania.

The conversation must be focused on what is happening in the interim. We know Rome wasn’t built in a day. We know it is unreasonable to demand this addition overnight. Yet the current systemic failures must be addressed before the permanent solution arrives. 

We can’t have another example of a system letting down or delaying support for a person in need.

One is instance is one too many. And this child’s experience cannot have happened in vain.  Something good must come from this horrible situation.