Mental health wards have begun to shut down in New South Wales (NSW) as negotiations continue to address the mass resignations of psychiatrists. Cumberland psychiatric hospital, the state’s largest and oldest mental health facility, has closed both its acute and rehabilitation wards, with experts predicting that further closures are imminent.
In a directions hearing held by the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) on Tuesday, the doctors’ union and the state government agreed to expedite arbitration. The dispute will be heard over five days, from March 17 to 21, with a decision expected soon after.
The situation follows an alarming development in which over 200 psychiatrists in the public system indicated their intent to resign. The mass exodus was prompted by the government’s refusal to approve a 25% pay increase for psychiatrists in a single year—a move doctors argue is necessary to attract new talent and retain existing staff.
NSW Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson confirmed that of the 205 psychiatrists who had expressed their intention to resign, 25 had retracted their decisions, and 81 had deferred their resignations for now. Jackson added that 100 psychiatrists still plan to resign in the coming weeks, though none of these resignations have been processed as of yet.
The state currently faces a significant shortage of mental health professionals. Of the 443 psychiatrist positions across NSW, up to 40% are vacant, exacerbating the ongoing crisis in mental health care.
Dr. Pramudie Gunaratne, chair of the NSW branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), emphasized that the mass resignations were not driven by salary disputes but by the urgent need to address systemic under-resourcing in the mental health sector.
“This is not an industrial dispute. This is about how we can fully resource a mental health system that is rapidly collapsing,” Gunaratne stated. She described the situation as an “absolute disaster,” criticizing the government’s failure to adequately protect the public mental health system.
At Cumberland hospital, Dr. Anu Kataria, a psychiatrist who resigned after more than two decades of service, expressed her distress over the ward closures. “I can’t tell you how sad I am,” she said. “We’ve watched the whole service go downwards. What we have to offer our patients has become less and less.”
Dr. Kataria, who was one of 14 psychiatrists to resign from the Cumberland hospital and the surrounding district, stated that she would reconsider her decision if the government agreed to the requested pay raise and committed to improving patient care.
The closures at Cumberland are also linked to long-standing vacancies that have gone unfilled, exacerbating the strain on the hospital’s resources.
Dr. Gunaratne warned that the closures would have severe consequences for vulnerable individuals seeking care. “Patients won’t stop presenting to emergency departments. Ambulances and police will continue bringing patients with mental illnesses to these departments, but with psychiatric wards closing, there will be nowhere for them to go,” she said.
In response to the closures, Matthew Daly, Deputy Secretary of NSW Health, explained that while there have been no formal service closures, some referrals have been limited, and services have been relocated to improve accessibility. Daly reassured the public that the government would not operate unsafe services, stating that if a service were deemed unsafe, it would either close or adjust its model to maintain safety.
Dr. Gunaratne raised concerns that the loss of forensic psychiatrists would have significant repercussions for the justice system, with Dr. Christina Matthews, a psychiatrist who resigned from the justice system, adding that mentally ill individuals entering the prison system would be particularly vulnerable.
“These individuals are at high risk of incarceration, especially if they cannot post bail,” Dr. Matthews noted, highlighting the urgent need for mental health support within the justice system.
As NSW continues to grapple with the crisis, the future of the state’s public mental health services remains uncertain. With more resignations expected in the coming weeks, the system’s ability to provide care for those most in need is under increasing strain.
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