A recent report from the Australian Medical Association (AMA) paints a worrying picture for residents of South Australia. Currently one in ten mental health patients in hospital emergency departments are legally required to wait longer than 35 hours for a bed. The report finds shocking laggards of the healthcare system. It shows that admitted mental health patients wait almost half a day — an average of 11 hours and 18 minutes — for care. These deadly statistics speak not only to the insufficiency of mental health services across the country, but the desperate need for expanded services.
Dr. Peter Subramaniam, a vascular surgeon at Patient and Providers Together, warned that additional waiting would deteriorate patients’ conditions. And most importantly, he made the case that during these extended stretches, the mental health of a patient can worsen beyond repair. A snapshot of the AMA’s report released this morning, showing current wait times as compared to previous financial years. It further exposes a long-standing and growing emergency in mental health treatment.
Systemic Challenges in Mental Health Care
She added that bringing in new beds is definitely moving in the right direction. He cautioned that it fails to address the persistent problems that have long dogged mental health care. Though there is no guaranteed funding for disruption, he explained what kind of care might be provided in these additional beds, saying,
“These are a different model of care, a lot of these extra beds, in that they’re rehabilitation beds, so they’re giving people a longer stay to make sure that when they leave hospital it doesn’t become a revolving door and they bounce back into hospital shortly afterwards.”
Yet the report shows that thousands of patients in urgent need of care are experiencing intolerable delays. In addition, Dr. Subramaniam noted that during the time patients are waiting for beds in emergency departments, they are typically under critical conditions. Diseases such as schizophrenia or acute psychosis are especially prevalent in this population. The reality has underscored the need for a better mental health safety net long before tragedy strikes.
Government Response and Future Needs
Earlier this week, Health Minister Chris Picton announced an exciting expansion of Noarlunga Hospital. Included in that $21 million investment, they’ll be adding 48 new hospital beds, 24 specifically for mental health. Following months of anxiety, these facilities will help ease the burden on our existing healthcare system. He said that much more needs to be done.
“But we need to see what we can do to provide the health care, the mental health care, or mental health support for patients before they require emergency departments,” Picton stated.
Despite the government’s efforts, opposition leader Vincent Tarzia cited examples of the fragility that continues to plague the system. He underscored that too many patients continue to “fall through the cracks.” This makes plain the urgent need for additional resources, specifically targeted to mental health service provision.
“For 41 months it’s been the worst it’s ever been and because of that you’re now seeing that affect issues like mental health,” Tarzia said.
Tarzia addressed the growing crisis of long emergency department wait times. He pointed to ambulance ramping as yet another unmistakable sign of a healthcare system stuck in gridlock. He proposed huge structural reforms to treat and prevent these systemic conditions.
A Call for Comprehensive Solutions
As the state approaches elections, Dr. Subramaniam urged all parties to present clear community mental health programs that are not merely announcements but are effectively funded and geared toward sustainable solutions.
“What we want — and seeing that we’re coming up to a state election — is for both parties to have a clear community mental health program which is not just an announcement — it’s funded, it’s got the right workforce configuration, and has the capacity to take us into the future,” Dr. Subramaniam said.
He did not shy away from the scale of the challenge, was very clear that governments get elected to solve difficult challenges in an intelligent way.
“This is a complex problem, but governments are elected to solve complex problems,” he stated.
