Following is an overview of the current situation at Prince of Wales emergency department:

- 5 scheduled psychiatric patients in the Emergency Department. A scheduled patient by law is not allowed to be discharged from the hospital because they pose a risk of physical harm to either themselves or another member of the community. A scheduled patient is also in need of one-on-one care from a nurse because of the risk of absconding, however there are not enough staff in the ED to provide this level of care. A scheduled patient attempted to abscond yesterday and needed to be physically restrained and sedated.

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A severe shortage of mental health beds has resulted in staff being assaulted, psychiatric patients being housed in the emergency department as well as forcing the closure of the Emergency Medical Unit at Prince of Wales Hospital, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O’Farrell and Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner said today.

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We’’ve just heard that the Rozelle Hospital at Callan Park is definitely going to be closed on 30th April.

The spin says it’s moving to the newly-built facility at Concord Hospital, without mentioning that the number of beds there will be only just over half of what were at Concord and Rozelle when the plan was announced in 2001. Even now, after constant shrinking since 2001, Rozelle still has over 200 beds, reduced to 174 at Concord making it even more difficult for our local fellow citizens to access.

As you’ll be aware from many articles in the main stream media of the tragically damaging, steadily decreasing number of mental health facilities all over NSW, this further imminent reduction will inevitably add to the disgraceful outcomes for people who can’t get treatment when they need it. They will end up homeless on the streets or in our jails, which are the now-fashionable ‘institutions’ for people with mental illness; and/or dead, from suicide or physical illness neglect.

The NSW government’s move to close the hospital is dreadfully irresponsible when already there are over 3-4 such preventable deaths a week in NSW. Instead they could be taking the opportunity to improve the situation and reduce the tragedies by keeping Callan Park in addition to the new ward at Concord.

Please come to the protest rally about this, which will be at 11am, at the Cecily St entrance, on Sunday 27th April. We need as many people as possible to come, so let your family and friends know that they should come too; please bring your children and your dogs (on leads) –the more the better.

Rally Contacts Hall Greenland, 02 9564 3113 & Jean Lennane, 02 9810 2511.

NSW mental health services get relatively less money, have fewer clinical staff and fewer inpatient and residential beds than elsewhere in Australia, a federal government report says. Read the full story here …