Three deaths at mental health unit spark review

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman confirmed a review was underway after three people died by suicide at the Prince Charles Hospital unit in the past 16 months.

Another two patients harmed themselves at the 60-bed unit during that period, most recently in April, according to an ABC report.

Ms Fentiman on Wednesday welcomed the investigation, extending her sympathies to the affected families.

"It's always incredibly distressing to lose a loved one and we're working very closely with those families as part of this review," she told reporters.

Ms Fentiman said Queensland Health would be ready to implement recommendations from the review which is expected to be completed by mid-year.

She said there had been a clinical review into the deaths, with a number of improvements already made.

They included bolstering frontline staff and a new short-stay, crisis stabilisation unit set to open at Prince Charles Hospital in September.

"But the hospital and health service has taken the position that they want to look systemically across the model of care," Ms Fentiman said.

"I welcome this review and Queensland Health will work closely with the hospital and health service to implement any of the recommendations that will be due by the middle of the year."

Ms Fentiman said there had been an increasing demand for mental health services across Queensland.

"We have come an extraordinarily long way," she said.

"I think for many decades there was a whole lot of stigma and shame around talking about mental health.

"That meant that governments, I don't think, kept up with funding the services appropriately but that has really turned around here in Queensland."

However Opposition leader David Crisafulli said mental health was in crisis.

"The pressures that have built in society have reached the point where people are falling through the cracks," he told reporters.

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Australian Associated Press