Industry & Reform
Industry & Reform
A 2019 study found 40 per cent of Australian nurses were experiencing high levels of psychological distress and 30 per cent symptoms of depression . Picture : Supplied NCANewswire
‘ Lost opportunity ’
NSW ’ s budget the lowest for mental health in Australia
By Erin Morley
NSW has been criticised for the lack of mental-health funding in the new state budget , which was released mid-September . It is the only state in which mental-health funding has decreased per capita over the last 10 years .
A 2019 study of Australian nurses found that 40 per cent of participants were experiencing high levels of psychological distress , and 30 per cent symptoms of depression , which were caused by the high-stress and demanding nature of their long work hours and unsupported working environments .
Mental-health related issues make up a total of 13 per cent of NSW ’ s burden of disease , at the same time as there is a shortage of mental health nurses in the workforce .
Acting president of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses ( ACMHN ) Matt Ireland says that the lack of funding in the budget is increasing burnout of the existing mental health nurses and increasing costs and wait times for patients seeking care .
“ The lack of funding for mental health reform in this first Labor budget was a lost opportunity to do some real good ,” he said .
“ When new funding is made available , the extent of the problem will be much greater .”
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A concern contributing to poor mental health in registered nurses over the past few years has been pay . In the new state budget there is some good news for healthcare workers . The public sector wage cap is being abolished and there is a $ 3,000 pay rise to 50,000 healthcare workers ’ salaries .
Lower-paid nurses will receive a pay increase of up to eight per cent , and a $ 419 million fund will allow the hire of an additional 1,200 nurses ; with another $ 572.3 million to convert 1,112 temporary nurses and midwives to permanent positions .
Although there is a lack of mental health funding directly for nurses and care workers , the registered nurse workforce is 89 per cent women , and investment in women ’ s health is clear .
The $ 100 million women ’ s wellbeing package includes a $ 34.3 million investment into 20 Women ’ s Health Centres in NSW providing mental-health services for women .
The budget also pledges a $ 669.8 million investment into mental-health infrastructure through its big spend on new and upgraded hospitals .
Campbelltown Hospital will receive $ 53.5 million for its redevelopment stage two : mental health and southwest paediatric service . This is part of the broader $ 632 million redevelopment of Macarthur ’ s health services , which will also initiate online mental health support services .
The Westmead Integrated Mental Health Complex will relocate from Cumberland
“ The lack of funding for mental health reform in this first Labor budget was a lost opportunity to do some real good
Hospital to a new facility connected to Westmead Hospital , through an investment of $ 409.0 million over four years to 2026-27 , as part of a larger $ 460.0 million project .
The government ’ s ‘ Living Well ’ strategy , developed by the NSW Mental Health Commission in 2014 , is designed to tackle the mental health needs of the community .
The 10-year plan had a mid-term review and focuses on improving community mental health and building a well-resourced mental health services workforce in its 2020 to 24 agenda .
Although this year ’ s NSW budget says it focuses on combating stressors caused by the understaffed nursing sector , the Black Dog Institute said more needs to be done to combat mental health issues among nurses .
The Institute and its supporters would like to see the government conduct an independent gap analysis of state-funded mental health services , allocate more funding for mental health proportionate burden of disease , and develop a recurring revenue stream to provide dedicated ongoing funding for mental health services . ■