Peak body for psychology the Australian Psychological Society (APS) is urging the NSW government to find a solution to the pending resignations of around two thirds of the public sector psychiatrist workforce.
APS CEO Dr Zena Burgess urged the government to quickly solve the dispute to protect the Australian community from sub-optimal treatment.
"This dispute needs to be resolved to avoid longer term impacts on patients and the risk of stepped up and stepped down care not being unavailable due to the lack of psychiatrists in NSW. The burden of care will fall to others in the mental health workforce, such as psychologists, who already have insufficient numbers in the public sector", Dr Burgess explained.
The flow on effects of the possible resignations of psychiatrists will directly impact patients through increasing risk and psychologists and their work with patients through increased caseloads and other operational demands.
"Psychologists simply don't have the capacity to increase their caseloads", Dr Burgess said.
"Under-investment in mental health has led to our psychiatrist colleagues voicing concerns about a dysfunctional system which also impacts other practitioners, including psychologists, and more concerningly, patients. The mental health system in NSW is already overburdened and under-resourced, with workforce shortages and gaps in continuity of care. Many people are struggling to access mental health care, especially in rural, remote, and vulnerable communities where the need is greatest."
If the dispute is not resolved satisfactorily, Dr Burgess stressed that not only will psychologists be faced with the devastating ripple effects, but there will be an overflow of mental health patients being directed to GPs for treatment, who are already inundated with patients.
"NSW's mental health crisis will be compounded, and the impact will affect other NSW Government Departments due to the shortage of psychiatrists across the board.
"The impact this will have on patients who are already potentially receiving subpar care due to staff shortages will be devastating."
Psychiatrists and psychologists are working tirelessly across NSW to help people to improve their mental health. Despite the many challenges they face in an under-resourced system, they continue to support the most vulnerable and deserve due recognition.
Addressing the pay disparity experienced by psychiatrists and other mental health workers in NSW signifies a move toward correcting under-investment in mental health and supporting practitioners to be better placed to meet the needs of patients into the future.
