Health system continues to fail people with poor mental health

The latest AMA report card shows patients with mental health-related conditions are staying in emergency departments for the longest period since 2016–2017, with patients in some states waiting in EDs for up to 30 hours.

The Australian Medical Association’s Public hospital report card: mental health edition also shows more patients with mental health-related conditions are arriving in emergency departments by ambulance and police services, and more are arriving in a critical condition needing urgent care.

AMA President, Professor Steve Robson, said, “This is a direct result of the hospital logjam, the same logjam that results in ambulance ramping and people waiting too long for surgery.”

“These long waits, which are directly due to a lack of inpatient beds, cause distress for patients and their families and place enormous pressure on hospital staff.”

“Emergency departments are no place for someone suffering a critical mental health illness. They are not designed in a way that’s conducive to good mental health care.

“The situation is distressing for staff working in EDs, who are not supported or sufficiently resourced to manage patients with complex mental health issues and patients who can become agitated when facing long waits for care,” Professor Robson said.

“The result of these compounding issues is that doctors and nurses are under increasing pressure, leading to stress, burnout and the emergence of their own mental health issues.”

The AMA is proposing concrete solutions including measures to ensure more patients are seen in primary care settings; increasing the number of mental health beds in public hospitals and improving access to private psychiatry.

Read the AMA Public hospital report card: mental health edition 2023

Find out more about our Clear the Logjam Campaign