Thomas Embling Hospital

Thomas Embling Hospital is a high-security forensic mental health hospital located in Fairfield, an inner Melbourne suburb in Victoria, Australia. The facility is operated by the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health, known as Forensicare, who are responsible for providing adult forensic mental health services in Victoria.[1]

Thomas Embling Hospital
Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare)
Geography
LocationYarra Bend Road, Fairfield, Victoria, Australia
Coordinates37°47′21.3″S 145°0′43.0″E
Organisation
Care systemMedicare
TypeForensic Psychiatric
Affiliated universitySwinburne University, Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science
Services
StandardsMental Health Act 2016, Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997, Corrections Act 1986 and Sentencing Act 1991
Emergency departmentNo
Beds116
HelipadNo
History
OpenedApril 2000
Links
Websitewww.forensicare.vic.gov.au
ListsHospitals in Australia

The hospital provides acute and continuing care for patients from the criminal justice system who are in need of psychiatric assessment, treatment or care (security or forensic patients) as well as patients from the Victorian public mental health system who need specialised management (compulsory patients).[2] Purpose-built with 116 secure beds, the hospital opened in April 2000.[3] The hospital is named after mental health reformer Dr Thomas Embling, who was appointed as Yarra Bend Asylum's first Resident Medical Officer.[4]

Patients are usually admitted from the criminal justice system, either via prison transfer or from a court order for psychiatric treatment.[5]

Site

Set on 8.4 hectares,[6] Thomas Embling Hospital is located on the grounds of the former Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital and adjacent to the former HM Prison Fairlea and the former Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum.

Incidents

On 22 February 2006, then Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott was hit in the face by a patient while visiting the hospital.[7] The same patient was later charged with the much-publicised murder of Masa Vukotic in 2015.[8]

In November 2009, a patient fatally stabbed two fellow patients,[9] and in December 2012, a patient was found dead within the hospital.[10]

In March 2013, a patient found not guilty due to mental impairment for attempted murder was allowed to leave the hospital on unescorted leave and did not return on the day.[11] She returned of her own volition four days later.[12] The same patient was again allowed unescorted day leave in February 2015 and failed to return.[13] She was found safe and well and returned by police the following day.[14]

In May 2014, a patient who was found not guilty due to mental impairment for murder was allowed an unsupervised leave for a day did not return on time. He was found and taken into custody peacefully the next day.[15]

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See also

References
  1. "Forensicare". Victorian Government. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  2. Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (2012), Corporate Plan 2012 - 2013 (PDF), VIFMH
  3. "High Security Hospital Opens for Mentally Ill Offenders" (Press release). Australia: Government of Victoria. July 2000. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  4. Evans, Alicia (1998), The case for "The Embling Hospital"
  5. "Thomas Embling Hospital". Forensicare. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  6. Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health, Thomas Embling Hospital (PDF), VIFMH, retrieved 17 June 2016
  7. "Abbott hit in the face by patient: report". Sydney Morning Herald. 22 February 2006. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  8. Hatch, Patrick; Bachelard, Michael (20 March 2015), "Man accused of murdering Masa Vukotic punched Tony Abbott in 2006", The Age, retrieved 18 June 2016
  9. "Killer back to hospital". The Age. 29 September 2011.
  10. "Police probe hospital body find". The Age. 27 December 2012.
  11. "Psychiatric patient escapes". The Age. 23 March 2013.
  12. "Escaped patient returns to criminal hospital". The Age. 25 March 2013.
  13. "Patient Lee Bartel missing from Thomas Embling Hospital, Fairfield". Herald Sun. 25 February 2015.
  14. "Police find mental hospital escapee safe and well in Dandenong". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  15. "Man who killed father escapes from Melbourne mental health hospital". The Age. 2 May 2014.
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