Psychiatrists’ warn more patients will abscond from hospital amid resignations

Psychiatrists warn the state’s most high risk patients will walk out of emergency rooms and back onto the streets amid psychiatrist shortages, following an alleged absconding incident at a hospital this week.

Psychiatrists warn patients suffering from schizophrenia, psychosis and suicidal ideation will walk out of emergency rooms and back onto streets across NSW, if the Minns government goes ahead with plans to have other workforces take over their duties.

The Daily Telegraph understands a patient who was found to have made a serious attempt on their life presented to a NSW hospital recently, but absconded on Wednesday.

NSW Health refused to confirm the allegations due to patient privacy, but The Daily Telegraph understands a similar incident was reported.

It is understood the hospital was not affected by psychiatrist shortages at the time.

Forensic psychiatrist, Dr Ian Korbel, said patients absconded from hospital throughout his career, however, incidents would escalate and pose greater risks to community safety under plans to call up “overburdened” health workers.

“What the plan lacks in detail is what they are actually going to do with psychiatric patients when they arrive in the emergency departments, who’s going to assess them, and what they’ll do with them afterwards,” he said.

“There will be an increased risk of patients absconding if they are not put in psychiatric wards and instead dealt with by staff in general medical wards and emergency departments, where there is less supervision.”

Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

Mr Korbel said forensic and justice psychiatrists were dealing with the most vulnerable patients in the state, and their years of training and expertise could not be easily replaced.

“Psychiatrists must assess people that are involuntary patients … there are good reasons why they need to be assessed by someone who is well versed in the Mental Health Act and well versed in mental illness,” he said.

More than 30 forensic and justice psychiatrists threatened to resign this week, however, Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson confirmed there had been no resignations or work absences reported this week.

NSW’s most high risk patients will walk out of emergency rooms, psychiatrists warn. Picture: Damian Shaw

Ms Jackson said there had been a statewide reduction of eight mental health beds with a number of wards amalgamated in key metro hospitals, and local health districts had been contacted with updated security advice.

However, she said no wards had closed and community safety was not at risk.

“This narrative by mental health experts who should know better is a blatant attempt to create fear in the community by stigmatising mental health,” Ms Jackson said.

“The worst thing that could happen right now is that someone who needs help does not reach out for it because they have been led to believe they will not receive expert and confidential support.”

Originally published as Psychiatrists’ warn more patients will abscond from hospital amid resignations