Today’s Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) wage decision must lead to a renewed focus on recruiting, retaining and training the depleted mental health workforce in New South Wales.  

Dr Pramudie Gunaratne, Chair of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) NSW Branch, said the mental health system has been under immense stress for years. 

“Psychiatrists are committed to providing the best care for their patients, but they cannot do that when services are threadbare, and the workforce is this thin on the ground,” Dr Gunaratne said. 

“Services are overloaded and staff burning out – we need meaningful investment and action to turn this tide. 

“The IRC’s decision today formally acknowledged the acute shortage of psychiatry staff specialists and recognised that this is causing a deterioration in both the quality of mental health care delivered in the public health system and the working conditions of psychiatrists in NSW, something we have been saying for far too long.” 

While the College was not party to the IRC proceedings, Dr Gunaratne acknowledged the decision’s impact on the state’s current and future psychiatry workforce. 

“Our communities deserve the very best mental health system – a system that provides people in need the full spectrum of care from early intervention in the community to crisis care in hospitals and pathways for recovery,” Dr Gunaratne said.  

“That is what the RANZCP has been advocating for and what we will continue to advocate for. 

“When senior psychiatrists leave the public system they take along with them the experience and resources to train and mentor junior doctors. 

“Medicine operates under an apprenticeship model and without sufficient supervisors in our public system, we will struggle to train the next generation of psychiatrists. NSW trains about a third of Australia’s psychiatrists so this is a problem of national significance. 

“Today’s decision is not a panacea to the critical and chronic shortage of mental health clinicians in the state, but it is a significant step in the right direction. 

"While the 20% interim wage increase is a good start, it alone cannot address the issues that continue to affect our mental health system." 

Dr Gunaratne said NSW had the lowest per capita ratio of mental health workers per population in Australia.  

“Our main concern is safeguarding the public mental health care system so that people who need help have access to high quality care,” she said. 

“Without proper investment, our best and brightest doctors will leave and our services will continue to languish. 

“We need appropriate levels of resourcing and sustained investment so that we can build a mental health system that meets the needs of our communities.  

“We stand ready to work with health services and government in achieving this goal.” 

ENQUIRIES: For more information, or to arrange an interview call Phil Cullen on +61 407 623 364 or email media@ranzcp.org.  

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists is a membership organisation that prepares medical specialists in the field of psychiatry, supports and enhances clinical practice, advocates for people affected by mental illness and advises governments and other groups on mental health care. For information about our work, our members or our history, visit www.ranzcp.org.

In Australia: If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au or the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au.

In New Zealand: If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline NZ on 0800 543 354 or www.lifeline.org.nz or the Suicide Crisis Helpline on 0508 828 865 or www.lifeline.org.nz/suicide-prevention.