Health Minister to hold mental health meeting over rising concerns of failing system

The Health Minister will hold a mental health roundtable to discuss a system on the brink of collapse – and a sacked whistleblower is invited.

State Health Minister Stephen Wade has promised to directly listen to the escalating concerns over a failing mental health system from frontline workers and patients right up to local health network bosses.

Mr Wade will host a mental health workshop with key stakeholders next week in the lead up to a health ministers’ meeting at the end of the month.

The Minister has extended an invitation to SA Health whistleblower John Mendoza to attend the mental health roundtable gathering.

Adjunct Professor Mendoza has been scathing of the state government’s inaction over the escalating impact of surging mental health demand on patient care and on clinicians.

His criticisms prompted an unprecedented coalition of union and peak body heavyweights on Thursday to demand a roundtable meeting with Mr Wade as news broke of two psychiatrists resigning in the past three weeks at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Minister for Health, Stephen Wade

Dr John Mendoza. Picture: Tom Huntley

Mr Wade told The Advertiser mental health reform “is long overdue”, “complex and there is no silver bullet”. He said the workshop would involve stakeholders sharing their views on progress, challenges and next steps in mental health reform in SA.

“It is really important that we engage the broad mental health community in this discussion, particularly consumers, carers and clinicians, including the Mental Health Commissioners and non-government organisations.”

Prof Mendoza said the workshop was a “good first step” and would provide Mr Wade with new advice on how to stabilise a system under increasing duress.

“It will send a signal to staff under this unrelenting pressure for so long that the government has heard their plight and that will give them an immediate boost,” he said.

Prof Mendoza was last week sacked as mental and prison health services director at Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) after publicly criticising SA Health officials.

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry SA branch chairman Dr Paul Furst said: “It’s a promising sign that the Minister has listened to our request for a roundtable but we hope he knows that it’s going to take a lot to fix our broken system. Now is the time for real action, we must start rebuilding our system now.”

Australian Medical Association SA Vice President Dr Michelle Atchison said a meeting with Mr Wade now could avoid the need for a Royal Commission like in Victoria.

“It’s not just the public health system that’s broken,’ Dr Atchison said. “South Australians are waiting up to six months to see a private psychiatrist and GPs are struggling with managing mental health patients who end up in crisis in emergency departments – this can be avoided.”

Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation SA Branch CEO Adjunct Associate Professor Elizabeth Dabars welcomed the workshop, but warned against it becoming “further rhetoric without the political will to implement the changes urgently needed”.

“We will be holding both Minister Wade and Premier Marshall to account so they don’t just deliver more task forces and plans but instead implement concrete actions to ensure the wellbeing and safety of the health care workforce and the South Australian community,” she said.

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Vacancies compound staffing crisis

More than one in every 20 positions in the state’s mental health system is vacant, according to SA Health, but the nurses union says the real figure is double that.

SA Health confirmed more than 100 mental health positions remained vacant – at least half of them for nurses.

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation said it was concerned there was no clear recruitment plan, despite many nurses nearing retirement.

“Specialist roles, including mental health nursing, are facing increased pressure due to a limited number of suitably experienced and qualified people available for the roles,” the union’s state leader Elizabeth Dabars said.

Two Royal Adelaide Hospital psychiatrists have resigned in the past three weeks – from a workforce of 11.5 full-time equivalents.

SA Health acting director of mental health strategy Liz Prowse said recruitment had been made harder by the pandemic. She said a plan had been developed to grow mental health nurse numbers, and an accelerated six-month Graduate Diploma training program was underway.