The public health system has been accused of failing mental health patients, as more arrive at hospital than ever before only to be met with record wait times in emergency departments.
That’s the verdict from the Australian Medical Association, sparking a warning the situation is only going to get worse as more staff leave the profession due to stress and burnout.
Patients waited an average of seven hours in emergency departments before they were admitted to hospital in the 2022/23 financial year, according to the association’s latest mental health Public Hospital Report Card released last week.
Some 52% of mental health patients arrived by police or ambulance, and one in 10 patients spent more than 23 hours in emergency before they received a hospital bed.
The number of patients with mental illness triaged as an emergency had more than doubled over a period of 12 years.
AMA president Danielle McMullen said the system was grappling with a “logjam” as there were just 27 specialised mental health beds per 100,000 people, the lowest capacity figure on record.
“Australia is failing to provide appropriate care to patients in the community, leaving many with no alternative to seeking essential care at their public hospital – this needs to change,” Dr McMullen said.
“This situation is extremely distressing for the dedicated staff working in EDs, who are not supported or sufficiently resourced to manage patients with complex mental health issues who can become agitated when facing long waits for care.
“Tragically, these overcrowded and stressful situations can contribute to unsafe psychosocial work environments and staff burnout, and in the worst cases, assaults on staff.”
Dr McMullen called for extra resources and mental health support reform “at all levels” or else risk more staff leaving the industry.
