I’m proud to support and be a part of the recent health economics report written by colleagues at the Australian National University and The Australian newspaper. 

 
Over that past 10 days, The Australian gave prominent online coverage to a report titled “Don't Walk By: Unmet Need in Chronic Severe Mental Health Conditions" produced by my close colleague, Professor Jeff Looi (Australasian Psychiatry), and Dr Steve Robson (former AMA president, surgeon & also a health economist), and Natasha Robinson (health editor of The Australian and solicitor). 

While serving as RANZCP NSW Branch Chair, I advocated for public and private sector mental healthcare. Despite offering assistance, the NSW Department of Health seemed focused on diminishing mental health services (assuming the NDIS could take over...which struggles to adequately support those with chronic severe mental illness).

This issue extends beyond NSW, reflecting a nationwide failure in Australia's mental health system, leaving many individuals with severe illness without proper care. The neglect has resulted in psychiatrists withdrawing from public and private hospitals, leading to overcrowded prisons and overwhelmed GPs attempting to manage patients with complex needs.

When approached by Jeff, Steve, and Natasha, I willingly shared insights on the longstanding neglect by state and federal governments towards the most severely mentally ill patients for Natasha's 10-day "Cast Adrift" series of articles in The Australian in December 2024. 
  

To assist Natasha prepare for her research on mental health, I spent some hours giving her a tour of the old Rozelle Hospital site, the original standalone psychiatric hospital for NSW (which closed down in 2008), where I did most of my psychiatry training in the 1990’s, and where I also worked as a staff specialist for a few years, prior to leaving the public sector for full-time private practice. 
“Inside Australia’s abandoned asylum and the modern mental health crisis” was published in The Australian on 13 December 2024.

It details Health Editor, Natasha Robinson’s, investigation into the legacy of deinstitutionalisation and the state of Australia's mental health care (as a companion piece to the ANU’s report “Don't Walk By: Unmet Need in Chronic Severe Mental Health Conditions").


During our visit to the abandoned Rozelle Hospital site, I discuss with Natasha how a lack of adequate mental health beds and insufficient supported housing for those with chronic severe mental illness have contributed to negative health outcomes. 

This video excerpt “Inside Australia’s abandoned asylum and the modern mental health crisis” was published online in The Australian, on 13 December 2024: https://lnkd.in/gXpNpjgf (full video: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/asylum-final/video/831a1384b714f3f5216a9b95bc16cced) 

The closure of the institutions went too far. During our tour, I recall how the hospital-based services provided expert medical and nursing crisis management, assessment and care, rehabilitation and occupational opportunities, and even stable supervised accommodation.

It’s tragic that these mental health support services were never replaced in the community and that some of these hospital facilities were not retained for those who needed more intensive support and care.