Psych staff to abandon turmoil
WA psychiatrists have overwhelming supported a vote of no confidence in the State Government's handling of the mental health system and warned that unless urgent action is taken more senior staff will resign.
A crisis meeting this week involving more than 50 psychiatrists, some taking part by teleconference from regional WA, voted to seek urgent undertakings from the Government to address staff shortages that they say mean only seriously unwell mental health patients can get care when they need it.
The meeting was called by the WA branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, which warned this month that a lack of staff was putting mental health patients at risk.
WA chairman Aaron Groves said yesterday psychiatrists agreed that the crisis facing their sector had not improved since a damning report by Professor Bryant Stokes almost two years ago, and had worsened in the past 12 months.
"The college does not have confidence that those ultimately responsible for fixing the problems are making any progress, and members agreed further action needs to be taken to immediately voice our concerns," Dr Groves said.
"The Government is failing to translate increases in funding to the Mental Health Commission into any growth in clinical staff in the public system."
Psychiatrists were also highly critical of delays in the release of a 10-year mental health services plan and future funding for the sector.
"We are concerned that the delay in its release, at a time when the State's economy is in a downturn, is a very discouraging sign, and the branch is deeply concerned the Government will provide a weak response to the gravity of the problems," Dr Groves said.
He said if their concerns were not addressed in the next month, it would inevitably lead to more senior staff leaving the public sector.
The 10-year plan being drawn up by the Mental Health Commission is understood to be finished but the Government is yet to give a time for its public release.
