Outback Queensland, NSW break their states’ heat records; Man steals caravan with three children inside; Inquest into ‘cluster’ of patient suicides at Prince Charles hospital
A criminal inquest will be held into the deaths of three people who died by suicide between December 2022 and April 2024 at the mental health department of Prince Charles Hospital.
During this period, 2 more people attempted suicide in inpatient wards and survived.
The announcement of the investigation followed an independent review which found two psychiatric wards at the hospital were understaffed and the inpatient facilities were “no longer fit for purpose”.
Loading
The Queensland government committed $10 million to the facility after the review was published in August last year.
Health Minister Tim Nicholls said those recommendations were “either ongoing or substantially complete” and supported launching a criminal investigation.
“I believe [the inquest] It will likely lead to suggestions to help us improve the service, Nicholls said.
“This is obviously something we will participate in, we are trying to learn from the outcome of the investigation and [as I’ve said recently]“I am concerned about the number of deaths in our mental health units.”
A pre-investigation conference is planned for April 2026.
If you or someone you know needs support, call Lifeline at 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue From 1300 224 636.
