State govt in leasing talks for shut Bethesda Clinic

The state government has entered leasing negotiations for the shuttered Bethesda Clinic after the $60 million private mental health centre closed its doors on Friday.

A state government spokesperson confirmed the government had entered negotiations around leasing the 75-bed Bethesda Mental Health Clinic located in Cockburn.

It comes after the centre shut its doors on Friday due to the service no longer being “financially viable” citing funding issues and lack of psychiatrists as challenges less than 12 months after it was opened. 

“The Cook government has entered negotiations around leasing the Bethesda Mental Health Clinic," a spokesperson told this masthead.

“While negotiations are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further but we hope to have more to say on this in the coming weeks."

The clinic's closure reportedly impacted about 70 staff members, who have been contacted by WA Health in a bid to recruit them into the public health system. 

“WA Health has reached out to staff from this clinic to invite them to take up roles with the public health service," the spokesperson said. 

“Improving access to mental health care, both acute and community services, is a key priority of the Cook government.”

The $60 million private mental health facility was dubbed a first of its kind in the southern suburbs when it was officially opened by Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson in March 2023. 

When announcing the clinic’s closure, a Bethesda Health Care spokesperson said people living south of the river would no longer have access to its private care service

At the time, the organisation confirmed its 86-bed specialist surgical and palliative care hospital in Claremont would continue operating as usual and would not be affected by the Cockburn closure.

The state government spokesperson said public mental health services could still be accessed at multiple locations in the southern suburbs.

“Public mental health services in the southern metropolitan region continue to be provided at Fiona Stanley Hospital, Fremantle Hospital and Rockingham General Hospital," they said.

“Construction is also under way on 40 additional mental health beds at Fremantle Hospital as part of a sixty-three-million dollar redevelopment.”

Bethesda Health Care declined to comment.