Resigning psychiatrists warn of worsening backlogs in emergency departments when mentally ill patients have nowhere to go due to ward closures.
Resigning psychiatrists warn of worsening backlogs in emergency departments when mentally ill patients have nowhere to go due to ward closures.
By Angus Thomson and Kate Aubusson
January 21, 2025 — 5.06pm
Hospital wards across Sydney are closing or having the number of beds slashed as the NSW government warned it would not find a resolution to the mass resignation of psychiatrists for at least two months.
As the mass resignation of more than 200 psychiatrists began taking effect on Tuesday, the NSW government and the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation NSW, the union representing doctors, agreed to an “expedited arbitration” of the matter in front of the Industrial Relations Commission.
That five-day hearing is not scheduled until March 17, leaving the public health system facing “severe acute psychiatrist shortages” for two months.
Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson said she was confident remaining mental health staff would be able to plug holes left by resigning doctors.
“Whilst there will be disruptions and whilst there may be issues, I am confident that we can run the system in the short, medium and long term, and that the independent [industrial court] process is one that will deliver a fair and reasonable outcome,” Jackson said.
“I’m hopeful that psychiatrists will see this as a positive step forward, and want to remain with NSW Health delivering quality mental health care.”
Jackson said the government did not know how many of the 205 psychiatrists had worked their last day, but 25 had since rescinded their resignations and 81 had delayed.
Dr Pramudie Gunaratne, NSW chair of the Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, said most resignations were effective from Tuesday, while some had delayed their departure to ensure safe handover of patients.
Gunaratne warned of worsening backlogs in emergency departments when mentally ill patients had nowhere to go due to ward closures.
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“That not only affects [mental health] patients but also patients coming in emergency departments for all the other reasons,” she said.
Several hospitals across Sydney have already closed beds and wards in response to the crisis.
In a note to staff on Tuesday, Western Sydney Local Health District chief executive Graeme Loy said two wards and the assessment centre at Cumberland hospital would be temporarily closed.
At Westmead Hospital, beds in the mother and baby, medical psychiatry, and older persons mental health units would be temporarily closed, while mental health beds in the emergency department would be taken over by a drug and alcohol toxicology team liaising with a psychiatry consultant.
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Loy said NSW Health was seeking a private hospital provider to offset some of the bed losses.
Prince of Wales hospital in Randwick last week began reducing the number of beds in its rehabilitation unit, from 14 to seven, in preparation for the resignations.
Psychiatrist Dr Christina Matthews, who resigned from her position as a clinical director of a NSW hospital, said she went into psychiatry with a “strong desire to work for the public health system”.
“I never expected to leave until my point of retirement, and I am personally devastated that it has come to this,” she said.
If you, or someone you know, needs support you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
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Angus Thomson is a reporter covering health at the Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via Twitter or email.
Kate Aubusson is Health Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald. Connect via Twitter or email.
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