Inquest launched into ‘cluster’ of patient suicides at Brisbane hospital

A coronial inquest will be held into the deaths of three people who died by suicide in the mental health unit of the Prince Charles Hospital between December 2022 and April 2024.

A further two people survived suicide attempts in the inpatient wards during this period.

The announcement of the inquest follows an independent review, which found there were staff shortages and inpatient facilities were “no longer fit for purpose” at two psychiatric wards at the hospital.

Following the release of the review in August last year, the Queensland government committed $10 million to the facility.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls said on Tuesday those recommendations were “either under way or have been substantially completed” and he supported the launch of a coronial inquest.

“I believe [the inquest] will probably lead to recommendations that will help us to improve the service,” Nicholls said.

“This is something that obviously we will participate in, we look to learn from … the outcome of the investigation and [as I’ve said recently], the number of deaths in our mental health units is of concern to me.”

The review found staffing was an issue at the Prince Charles Hospital’s unit, with a “concerning” rate of vacancies in some roles including inpatient nursing, multidisciplinary positions in acute-care teams, and medical officers.

The review said the facility had been under significant prolonged demand and would not be able to address the issues given its existing governance and workforce limitations.

It also found the hospital unit lacked “meaningful therapeutic programs” including access to recreational and group activities, and there were few outdoor spaces.

“[The facility is] not conducive to mental health recovery and wellbeing for consumers, and they pose a number of potential safety and ligature risks for both consumers and staff,” it said.

A pre-inquest conference is scheduled for April 2026.

If you, or someone you know, needs support you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

With AAP

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