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“The report tells us that on every measure, mental health patients rated their experiences of care in the Emergency Department as lower than non-mental health patients. This is not surprising as ACEM has repeatedly raised concerns that hospital Emergency Departments, without adequate resources and support, are far from the best environments for patients experiencing mental health crisis,” said Dr Judkins.

“That almost one third of adults in NSW with a mental health issue indicated it was ‘very difficult’ to access care outside of office hours also illustrates the ongoing problems. As patients experiencing mental health crisis continue to feel they have nowhere else to go in the community – especially after hours – hospital Emergency Departments and staff will continue to be placed under enormous pressure.

“With the report showing that 2,320 people (or 3% of all mental health patients) waited in EDs for 24 hours or more, that figure remains unacceptably high and only serves to heighten all the other risks we have so often raised regarding patient and staff safety and adequacy of care. We call for all states and territories to embrace a national standard which ensures that no patient is left waiting for 24 hours or more in an Emergency Department to receive the treatment they need.”

ACEM welcomes the release of this report and congratulates BHI for making the data public, to facilitate open discussion of the issues and to help ensure an integrated, working mental health system that truly meets the needs of patients and their families.

“What we now need is a much greater investment in capacity building, focusing on the integration of primary and community based mental health care with hospital services. That investment must prioritise resourcing for EDs to assess and manage people who are severely unwell, including those who present in a psychotic or dissociative state,” said Dr Judkins.

“People in mental health crisis and their families need a system that offers comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, rather than more narrowly-focused, stand-alone, stop-gap solutions.

“This year, ACEM issued a in the Emergency Department with four key recommendations for Governments, which we encourage Federal, State and Territory Health Ministers to endorse.

“ACEM would welcome the opportunity to provide further input and to work collaboratively with Governments and all parties on service models to help improve the situation in NSW, and across Australia and New Zealand.”

Background

ACEM is the peak body for emergency medicine in New Zealand and Australia, responsible for training emergency physicians and advancement of professional standards.

provides a range of resources on mental health care in the Emergency Department, including the proceedings from ACEM’s mental health summits and other research reports.