Western Australian psychiatrists have welcomed a suite of mental health measures in the State Budget but warned that a shortage of more than 150 psychiatrists poses an immediate risk that must be prioritised.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) WA Branch welcomed what the Premier has described as the biggest health budget in the state's history, while cautioning that the workforce shortage is already limiting what that investment can deliver.

“The investment in mental health beds and services is very welcome and will make a tangible difference for Western Australians,” Dr Murugesh Nidyananda, Chair of RANZCP WA Branch said.

“However, we remain concerned about workforce shortages plaguing WA’s mental health system and the ability of the sector to make the most of this funding.

“Only 120 of the planned 900 beds are fully staffed, and we still do not know, for example, how the beds at the new Joondalup Health Campus mental health unit will be resourced.”

The Branch welcomed the following:

• 900 additional hospital beds over the next four years, while urging urgent action to address the severe workforce shortages that leave so many of those beds unstaffed.
• $15.4 million for the new Crisis Recovery and Intervention Support Service, the first of its kind in WA, providing a genuine alternative to emergency departments for people who do not require hospitalisation
• $95.5 million for the continuation of Active Recovery Teams, Mental Health Co-Response Teams and the Cockburn Mental Health Facility
• $16 million for the Community Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Hub in Bunbury
• $8.8 million for telehealth services for children in rural and regional areas experiencing a mental health crisis
• $29.7 million for suicide prevention programs
• The establishment of the Central Commissioning Office for major health infrastructure, as a step towards more integrated service delivery and better commissioning of mental health services across WA

"WA has the most fragmented mental health service system in the country and our patients pay the price. The Central Commissioning Office gives us a real opportunity to fix that, and we intend to be at the table working with the Government on what greater integration means for mental health services specifically," Dr Nidyananda said.

With mental ill-health being one of the leading causes of lost productivity in the country, Dr Nidyananda warned that WA's growing population and growing burden of mental illness were outpacing the mental health workforce.

“WA has the second lowest number of psychiatrists per capita in the country. Our population is growing, demand is growing, and we are not training enough psychiatrists to keep up,” Dr Nidyananda said.

“The people who will feel the impact of this shortage most acutely are those with the most severe and complex mental health needs, the ones who can least afford to delay their care.

“We welcome the Government's commitment to reform, but specialist mental health care is most effective when people can access it early, in the right place and the right time from the right clinician. We cannot put off investment in the workforce for later.”

While the Workforce Strategy is in development, the College urged the WA Government to continue working towards increasing the psychiatry training capacity in the public sector, retaining experienced supervisors for the next generation of WA psychiatrists, and supporting and expanding psychiatric training opportunities in the private sector.

“Psychiatrists treat the conditions that keep people out of work, out of hospital, and out of the justice system. Every psychiatrist we train and retain in WA is an investment in the productivity and wellbeing of this state. We are asking the Government to treat it like one,” Dr Nidyananda said.

ENQUIRIES: For more information, or to arrange an interview call Dishi Gahlowt 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.

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 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or via web chat on www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support. 

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.