The Australian Medical Association is ringing the alarm on the state of the nation’s mental health system as workforce shortages in the field of psychiatry leave vulnerable patients in limbo.
The AMA says chronic underfunding and increasingly complex patient presentations have pushed the country's mental health system to crisis point .The country's health ministers are meeting in Hobart today to discuss issues of national importance, with a focus on hospital funding.The Australian Medical Association has issued a serious warning about the state of the nation's mental health system, claiming it's failing those who need it the most.
It said those most disadvantaged were people who have experienced child abuse, homelessness and violence."We need all governments to work collaboratively to improve the function, size and distribution of Australia's mental healthcare workforce to ensure care is available for some of the most vulnerable members of our society."
The peak body for doctors said the number and quality of mental health beds in public hospitals also needed urgent attention as backlogs were leading to poor health outcomes. The latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed two in five Australians were estimated to experience a mental disorder at some point in their life, with anxiety disorders the most common.Yesterday, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler told ABC Hobart his main priorities in the lead up to next year's election were general practice and mental health.
Mental Health Crisis Point Staffing Shortage Workforce
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