Dear Verity,

I was hoping to call into see you today (Friday 16 May 2008) however I have a personal matter which requires my attention.

I became involved with the FoCP when I realized the unique beauty and peacefulness of the place. It was not until the sister of a friend (who I have known for over thirty years) committed suicide I realized my interest in Callan Park was only part of the reason the site needs to be preserved for future generations.

People are dying needlessly in our society because politicians such as yourself are not prepared to do the job you were elected to do. You are doing exactly as our previous local member, Sandra Nori, ignoring your electorate and paying lip service to your political masters.

Verity people are dying on your watch whilst all you do is walk the walk and talk the talk. A mentally ill patient having a psychotic episode in a general hospital waiting room is a bit like giving a two year old a litre of petrol and a box of matches. Sooner or later you’re going to have an explosion and somebody is going to get hurt. This coupled with fewer and fewer mental health beds is a recipe for disaster on a grand scale.

When a mother writes”…………struggles that are still faced by those like her, I say to myself, “Thank God she doesn’t have to endure this any longer.” (see previous post)

You’re a mother. How dare you fail to represent us on this issue

Peter Longhurst

I wept when I read your article “Nurses place work ban on mental health patients” (May 14). All the memories of my experiences with my late daughter came flooding back: the hours we would sit in emergency at Prince of Wales, the pressure placed on the staff, who always tried their best for us, but whose hands were tied because for the most part there were never any beds.

The Government has now chosen to shut Rozelle psychiatric hospital, knowing full well this will only magnify the problems. Concord Hospital cannot, and does not, replace Rozelle.
Why are patients at Royal North Shore and Prince of Wales sedated and tied down like animals because of bed shortages? Inquiries in 2002 and 2005 showed what was needed, and yet eyes are shut and ears closed.

My daughter committed suicide two years ago, and when I read of the daily struggles that are still faced by those like her, I say to myself, “Thank God she doesn’t have to endure this any longer.” My heart goes out to the unsung heroes, the nurses and doctors who work in the mental health system, who are to be cherished and should not be made to suffer as they are now.

Dianne Gaddin Neutral Bay (SMH Letters 14 May, 2008)

PLASTIC wheelie bins full of confidential documents were left outside Rozelle Hospital in a last-minute rush to move the hospital to its new site at Concord.

Staff records, including details of criminal convictions and personal medical histories, were jammed into the bins along with minutes of meetings and disciplinary proceedings.

Go to article, SMH 6 May 2008

Staff at Concord Hospital’s new mental health unit say they fear for their personal safety, with security arrangements inadequate for dealing with violent patients.

More than 200 nurses, doctors and security guards transferred from Rozelle Hospital to Concord signed a petition four months ago arguing that the new security arrangements would “place an unacceptable and unnecessary risk” on them.

Go to article, SMH 5 May 2008

The future of Callan Park, one of Sydney’s iconic places hangs in the balance. Frank Sartor and his colleague Verity Firth, along with The University of Sydney, are busy spending taxpayers funds in a bid to “sell” their plan for Callan Park to the public.

They know they have to win public support before they can implement their plan to give the bulk of Callan Park’s 61hectares to the university. So far, all their pretty pictures and spin have not done the job – only 6% of residents of Leichhardt Municipality support the plan, according to a telephone poll commissioned by Leichhardt Council. The same poll did reveal a large minority is still undecided.

Dowload the following which leaflet spells out the drawbacks and dangers in the Sartor/University plan to which thousands of people objected when it went on public exhibition over summer. We also present the alternative. Download (PDF 327K)

For the second consecutive Sunday, hundreds of people protested the closing of Rozelle Psychiatric Hospital in Callan Park on Sunday April 27. The NSW ‘Labor’ government will close the 210-bed hospital on April 30, but the Friends believe that while the mental health crisis persists, and while the buildings and grounds remain at Callan Park, the hospital can be re-opened. The alternative for many people with a mental illness will be homelessness, jail and preventable death.

The National Mental Health Report released on April 16 revealed that NSW has fewer mental health staff, hospital beds and 24-hour staffed residences than any other any state. Equally worrying is the continued delay in releasing the mortality figures for mental health patients in NSW – the latest annual report is already five months overdue.

The hospital campaign will be part of our agenda at the next monthly meeting of the Friends on Monday, May 5, at 7pm in the Writers Centre in Callan Park.

Hall Greenland

The closure of the Rozelle Hospital’s acute drug and alcohol wards has drastically reduced the availability of beds to treat patients with drug addiction and alcohol-related illnesses, Shadow Minister for Mental Health Greg Aplin said today.

“The drug and alcohol wards - the 15 bed acute detox McKinnon unit and the 15-bed Palm Court rehabilitation unit - have been transferred to Concord but are barely functioning after moved into old facilities still undergoing renovation,” Mr Aplin said.

“Even worse, staff shortages mean that only eight patients can be cared for at present,” he said.

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