One step forward, two steps back: Psychiatrists urge WA Government to reverse children's mental health bed cuts

WA psychiatrists are calling on the State Government to reverse plans to cut four inpatient mental health beds at Perth Children's Hospital, warning the move comes at a time when demand for youth mental health care remains high and major reforms remain unfinished.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) said reducing the number of beds from 20 to 16 at the state's only specialist inpatient mental health unit for children under 16 raises serious concerns about the direction of mental health reform in Western Australia.

RANZCP WA Deputy Chair Dr Eileen Tay said the decision was particularly concerning given longstanding warnings about gaps in child and adolescent mental health services and the slow pace of reform.

"Western Australia cannot afford to go backwards when it comes to caring for children and young people experiencing serious mental illness," Dr Tay said.

“It is difficult to reconcile reducing the state's only specialist mental health inpatient capacity for children under 16 with repeated findings that the system requires greater investment and stronger support for young people in crisis.

"By reducing acute mental health capacity, we risk children and young people in distress being turned away from hospitals and instead being cared for at home, putting enormous pressure on families, carers and guardians.

"The public deserves transparency about why these beds are being removed and whether ongoing workforce shortages influenced this outcome. If so, that points to a broader failure to address longstanding workforce shortages across child and adolescent mental health services," Dr Tay warned.

Dr Tay said the reported reduction in beds comes despite years of reviews, inquiries and commitments to improve Western Australia's youth mental health system.

"A recent audit of the Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health System Transformation Program found that many recommendations arising from the 2022 Taskforce have yet to be fully delivered,” Dr Tay said. 

"Reports and reviews have also repeatedly identified workforce shortages as a major barrier to reform, yet we still do not have the coordinated workforce planning and investment needed to meet demand.

"You cannot build a high-quality mental health system without the workforce required to run it.”

The RANZCP said the issue must be considered in the context of ongoing shortages in community-based mental health services, which are critical to supporting children and young people before and after hospital admission.

"Inpatient beds are only one part of the solution, but they remain an essential safety net for children experiencing acute mental distress," Dr Tay said.

"The reality is that many families are still struggling to access timely specialist care in their communities. Until we have a properly connected and well-resourced system of hospital and community-based services, demand for inpatient care will remain high."

The RANZCP said the answer lies in delivering the reforms already recommended, including expanding community-based mental health services and accelerating the rollout of Community Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (ICAMHS) hubs. 

To date, only one full ICAMHS Hub has been announced and funded, servicing WA’s South-West region from Bunbury.

"Young people in WA, whether they live in the country or the city, need timely access to coordinated, wraparound mental healthcare close to home," Dr Tay said.

"The Government has taken some positive steps, including new governance arrangements for the Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health System Transformation Program, but progress remains too slow. 

“We need greater transparency, a stronger mental health workforce and sustained investment in community services so children and families can access care when and where they need it."

ENQUIRIES: For more information, or to arrange an interview call Kathleen Jessop on +61 437 315 911 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.

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