Dear Member Service CEOs,
As you are aware, although the anticipated resignation of approximately 200 staff specialist psychiatrists in NSW did not eventuate on Tuesday, there remains a significant threat of resignations in the coming days or weeks. We understand that this ongoing uncertainty may be causing significant anxiety and distress for you, your teams, and the communities you serve. While the exact impact is unknown, it could potentially be substantial, directly affecting member services and placing additional strain on other public services, including emergency healthcare and police.
For those of you in attendance at the Chief Health Officer’s meeting last week, you will know that the advice was to use usual referral pathways for patients with mental health needs and escalate any concerns through your Local Health District. We have confirmed that this remains the current advice, which we encourage you to follow. However, if your team encounters any issues or if the usual referral process is not working, please contact our public health team at publichealth@ahmrc.org.au. We will escalate any systemic issues or local concerns to the Ministry of Health to seek prompt resolution.
We want to assure you that we are here to support you during this challenging time. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, need further assistance, or simply want to speak with someone.
Kind regards
AH&MRC Public Health Team