The New South Wales government is making a last-ditch effort to postpone the mass resignation of the state’s psychiatrists by asking the Industrial Relations Commission to urgently intervene.
More than 200 senior NSW psychiatrists have resigned, citing patient safety concerns with the resignations set to become effective as of tomorrow.
This represents more than two-thirds of staff specialists in the state who intend to resign after the government did not accept their proposed solution of a special levy that would raise their wages by 25%.
At a press conference held by the doctors’ union on Monday, Dr Pramudie Gunaratne, the chair of the NSW branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, said psychiatrists have been fighting for patients and communities for years.
“Our mental health system is failing you, and we have been begging this government to do something – anything – to bring our workforce back so we can provide our patients and communities with the care that they need instead of burying our heads in the sand and continuing to prop up a broken system,” Gunaratne said.
A staff specialist psychiatrist's salary starts at A$186,241 a year, according to the NSW government with a senior-level psychiatrist earning $251,168.
The NSW government said around 50% of the public sector psychiatrists are on a senior salary.
While around 205 psychiatrists have tendered their resignation, NSW minister for mental health, NSW Health Secretary, Susan Pearce indicated that the numbers were not yet settled.
“The resignations are staggered over a number of weeks, and indeed, some months in some cases. It’s not all about the 22nd of January, although we appreciate that is a significant date,” Pearce said.
Jackson said the government’s proposition to psychiatrists was a 10.5% wage increase over three years as well as a 10% onerous duties allowance in addition to the 4.5% increase for all government employees introduced last year, which was rejected by the doctors union.
In 2023 the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) released a report showing that NSW was one of the lowest-spending states for mental health per capita.
RANZCP have continually shown their support and advocated for the psychiatrists considering resignations in NSW.