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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Ramsay Health Care set to close psychology clinics across the country within weeks
Australia's largest private hospital operator has moved to close the majority of its psychology clinics, leaving thousands of vulnerable patients facing the prospect of being left without crucial care. In a staff meeting earlier this month, Ramsay Health Care revealed it would shut 17 of its 20 psychology clinics across the country by September. Internal documents sent to staff, obtained by the ABC, state the decision was "not made lightly" and followed a review of the challenges in running a widespread network of clinics, including "rising costs, uneven demand and operational complexity". One psychologist who works for Ramsay Health Care, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she is not authorised to speak publicly, said she was deeply concerned about the impact on patient care. She said patients who were not retained by their current psychologist in a new practice, or picked up by another clinician, would have to find alternative care. "Clients are being left in limbo because they potentially are going to have to wait a month or two to see their regular psychologist if they are continuing on somewhere else, or they're going to have to start all over again," she said. "The more clients are going through revolving doors, eventually, they just give up. "This has been extremely frustrating because I'm trying to advocate for clients and for best client care, but it's like words are falling on deaf ears, they are not taking concerns seriously." Ramsay Health Care is Australia's largest private provider of psychology services, and its clinics see a range of high-risk patients with various mental health conditions, including young children, for conditions like depression or PTSD. The provider also runs separate mental health clinics, however they will not be affected by the change. A briefing note sent to staff said three clinics — in Cairns, Charlestown and Joondalup — would remain open, and it was "exploring the merits" of expanding its existing psychology telehealth services. But the note said Ramsay Health Care was not "stepping away from mental health care". "We remain committed to supporting high-quality, accessible services, whether in hospitals, in communities or online," the note said. "This decision reflects a growing community demand for mental health support that is easy to access, flexible, convenient and connected to other services." A Health Department review into the viability of the private hospital system, commissioned by the Albanese government and published in summary last year, identified declining mental health services as a major issue. It noted the sector had raised concerns about access to private hospital psychiatric services, and the difficulty in attracting and retaining psychiatrists prepared to work in a hospital setting. While the number of Medicare-subsidised psychiatric services increased by almost 20 per cent from 2018-19 to 2021-22, the number of services delivered in a private setting dropped by about 15 per cent over the same time period. Eminent psychiatrist, and former Australian of the Year, Patrick McGorry said there was a "great risk" the clinic closures would see some patients left without care. "We already have this access problem, with only 50 per cent of people who have a need for mental health care able to access it at all, and often after long delays" he said. "This will worsen that situation potentially. "It'll throw more patients potentially back on a public sector that's severely underfunded at a state level and in crisis in several states. "So I think this is not a good signal to be sending to the public." In a statement, Ramsay Health Care said it was reshaping how it delivered community-based mental health support, "to better meet the evolving needs of clients and clinicians". "We understand this change might be unsettling and we are working closely with our psychologists to ensure every client is supported and has continuity of care, whether through our existing and expanded telehealth service or with another trusted provider, depending on what is clinically appropriate," a spokeswoman said. "This change is part of Ramsay's broader strategy to strengthen how we deliver high-quality, accessible and connected care across hospital, home and virtual settings."
News.com.au
20 hours ago
- News.com.au
New pictures raise fresh concerns over Blacktown Hospital
New pictures have raised fresh questions about conditions at a major Sydney hospital where patients have been forced to wait 24 hours for a bed. The images show a woman connected to a drip as she tried to sleep in a car outside Blacktown Hospital, in the city's west, after hours sitting in the emergency department (ED). It is the second similar incident revealed by 2GB host Ben Fordham this week, with the NSW opposition's health spokesperson saying the photos look like a 'third world system'. On Wednesday, Fordham shared another 'horror story' from the $700 million hospital, which underwent a major redevelopment from 2012 to 2020. He said a woman named Anna Maria presented to the ED last week with an obstructed bowel and also waited an entire day for a bed to become available. 'I waited 24 hours at the waiting room because there were no beds,' she said, in a letter to Fordham. 'I witnessed people lying on the floor and bringing in camping chairs to sit down on. 'I was so tired that my husband parked the car out the front of the ED so I could lay down and have a rest.' A day earlier, Fordham told listeners that a 70-year-old man resorted to lying on the ED floor at the hospital as he sought treatment for severe diarrhoea. The man, named Raymond, waited 24 hours for a bed. Another 80-year-old man was also seen lying on the ED floor. Vaucluse MP Kellie Sloane, the health spokesperson for the NSW opposition, said the images provided of Anna Maria in her car were 'shocking'. 'This should not be happening in our hospitals and it is happening all to regularly particularly at Blacktown Hospital,' she said. Ms Sloane took aim at Premier Chris Minns, who this week accused the former Coalition government of under-investing in western Sydney hospitals. She said people 'sick of the spin' from the Premier, and called for action. 'You just cant believe it is happening in Sydney, in New South Wales,' Ms Sloane said. 'A place where we have one of the best health systems in the world. 'But when you look at this, it looks like a third world system. It's not good enough.' Western Sydney Local Health District were contacted for comment. Staff at Blacktown, which services one of the most populous local government areas in the country, have long voiced concerns about understaffing. In 2018, under the former state government, workers described the staffing situation as 'untenable' and the hospital has dealt with several scandals since. Up to 20 obstetricians vowed to quit in November 2020 citing staffing and resource issues, following the deaths of four newborn babies there in the previous 18 months. Mr Minns told Fordham on Tuesday that conditions at Blacktown were 'not good enough' and acknowledged there was an 'enormous challenge' in front of the government. 'The situation today is not where we need it to be, and we need to do better with the massive investment that we're putting into health,' he said. 'We're putting more money into health than any government in the state's entire history – and that includes parts of the Covid emergency.' Mr Minns said his government would deliver 60 new beds across Blacktown Hospital and its sister facility at Mount Druitt.
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
‘Apology' to 70yo who slept on western Sydney hospital floor amid calls for review
A 70-year-old man pictured sleeping on the floor of a western Sydney hospital has been issued an 'apology' amid calls for an urgent review into the beleaguered hospital. The photos, posted to Facebook by the man's daughter Hayley Leatham, show Raymond lying down behind a row of chairs at Blacktown Hospital with a bag under his head. Ms Leatham said the photos showed the 'sad reality of our public health system', and her father had waited more than 24 hours with life-threatening low haemoglobin. The Western Sydney Local Health District, which oversees Blacktown Hospital, said in a statement on Wednesday it had reached out to Raymond to 'sincerely apologise'. 'Raymond has expressed his thanks for the quality of care he received from the hardworking staff at Blacktown Hospital,' a spokesperson said. 'All patients are seen and triaged on arrival at the ED with the most seriously unwell patients treated first.' The spokesperson acknowledged that it 'can be challenging for people' when they were made to 'wait longer than they expect in an ED'. 'We thank the community for their patience during periods of high demand,' they said. The spokesperson urged anyone with non life-threatening injuries to call Healthdirect, as hospital visitations surged over the winter months. NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Blacktown Hospital branch vice-president Jess Kybert said the situation at the hospital was the worst she had ever seen. Speaking as a member of the union, she said staff were burnt out amid an unprecedented surge in cases over winter, an always busy period for hospitals. She said that while not allowed to let patients sleep on the floor, 'the horrific thing is the floor becomes the next best option' due to a lack of beds. The incident also sparked political mudslinging between the Labor state government and the Liberal-Nationals opposition in NSW. Premier Chris Minns lay significant blame at the feet of the former Coalition government, though admitted more needed to be done. Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane on Wednesday called for an 'urgent review' into the situation at Blacktown and Westmead hospitals. 'Western Sydney is under enormous pressure,' the Vaucluse MP told 2GB's Ben Fordham. 'They have unique needs across our state, high areas of chronic illness, diabetes is the highest in the nation. 'In those areas, we've got big migrant populations, and Covid exacerbated this. 'So, I'm not saying there are easy answers, but we need to make a start. 'We need to have a review that begins at Blacktown Hospital.' Fordham released images of a woman identified as Anna Maria, who told the 2GB host that she had slept in her car while waiting for emergency department staff in Blacktown. 'Anna Maria says, a week ago, I was taken to Blacktown Hospital with a bowel obstruction,' Fordham said. 'I waited 24 hours in the waiting room because there were no beds. 'I was so tired that my husband parked the car out the front of the ED so I could lay down and have a rest while the staff are doing their best to manage a chaotic situation.'
