Two separate escapes of mental health patients from the hospital responsible for the most complex psychiatric cases in western Sydney point to an inability to provide long-term care when “demand is almost insatiable”, medical sources say.
A man charged with murder after a stabbing attack in Merrylands on Tuesday remains on the run from a Cumberland hospital. In an unrelated matter, two people were allegedly killed Saturday after another hospital patient was hit by a car.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said on Thursday the growing pressure on the public mental health system needed to be addressed, including implementing recommendations from the Bondi Junction stabbing inquiry.
He said he was concerned about the security failure that led to the escape of patients and “there needs to be a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding these patients”.
“We need to make sure that forensic hospitals, psychiatric wards have whatever security is in place to keep people safe,” Minns said.
His comments came a year after psychiatrists threatened to resign en masse over poor working conditions in the public system and the risks of substandard patient care.
A mental health expert, who asked not to be identified, told Guardian Australia that two psychiatrists at Cumberland Hospital quit last year. In their place, doctors were contracted to work shorter hours.
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However, the doctor warned that full staffing may not prevent incidents this week.
“If anything, it’s having resources to work more with patients to address chronic trauma and mental health issues,” they said.
“Because there is not enough time or resources for long-term care and treatment, the focus is on symptom control in the hospital.”
They said “demand is almost insatiable” at Cumberland – a referral hospital for western Sydney patients with the most complex mental health needs – limiting the effectiveness of doctors’ work. Meanwhile, Westmead, Mt Druitt and Auburn hospitals have “virtually zero capacity” for inpatient mental health.
‘It’s a systemic problem’
Cumberland branch president of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, Nick Howson, said on Thursday there was a “systemic problem affecting many governments, both Liberal and Labor”.
“The system is broken. We’re waiting for it to hit the ground, and we’re still falling,” Howson said.
“It’s not Cumberland’s fault, it’s not Western Sydney Local Health District’s fault, it’s not even NSW Health’s fault, it’s a systemic problem.”
A spokesman from the Western Sydney Local Health District said it was “deeply concerned about the tragic events” and that the matter was before the courts.
“A formal review will be undertaken and will include the care and treatment of the patients allegedly involved and safety protocols at Cumberland Hospital. The review will include an external senior psychiatrist,” the spokesman said.
“In both cases the NSW Police were notified when the patient absconded from mental health care.”
Minns acknowledged the “pressure [the mental health] The system is growing.”
While he welcomed the number of people seeking help when they needed it, he said: “We have to have the ability to accept them when they come. That’s what I’m looking at right now.”
“Most of those cases end up being safe in the community, with the person getting the help they need,” he said. “It went terribly wrong and we need to make sure we learn from it.”
