Far South Coast mother urges people to sign petition to open unused mental health care facility in Bega hospital

A Far South Coast mother is urging NSW residents to sign the Legislative Assembly online petition to open the sub-acute mental health ward at the South East Regional Hospital (SERH) in Bega.

The ward has sat unused for nine years, since the hospital was built.

The 2021 Census reported that 10.6 per cent of residents in the Eurobodalla and 10.3 per cent of Bega Valley residents had a long-term mental health condition such as depression or anxiety. That is above the state average of 8 per cent and the national average of 8.8 per cent.

Adults in regional NSW experience higher rates of psychological distress than those in metropolitan areas, and poorer access to mental health services.

Meanwhile, suicide is the leading cause of death of Australians aged 15 to 49.

Pambula resident Wendy Wait said the SERH’s Bega Mental Health Inpatient unit had a high dependency ward and a low dependency ward, totalling 14 beds. She understands that best practice is for the three levels of care, but the sub-acute ward is sitting idle.

“This is just not good enough when the SERH is the only hospital-based mental health service available from Batemans Bay to the Victorian border providing longer stays and specialised support,” Ms Wait said.

The new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital will only provide beds for emergency short-term mental health care.

Her 26-year-old son has been struggling with his mental health for 10 years.

She is upset that he is not getting the support he needs, and the help to prevent future relapses.

Currently her son has the choice of the highly restrictive high dependency ward or the low dependency ward.

Sub-acute wards provide a supportive recovery environment with psychologists and psychiatrists, and fewer restrictions than the high and low dependency wards.

A sub-acute mental health ward allows patients access to an open courtyard where they can walk around freely.

They tend to have cooking facilities and therapy dogs.

“Having a facility like this open and running in the Bega Valley would provide another level of additional care that will help people experiencing poor mental health to effectively transition, and supplement the care given at the pre-existing 14-bed mental health wards at SERH,” Ms Wait said.

She has visited a sub-acute mental health ward in Canberra that had a therapy dog and said it was so relaxing.

“I am sure my son would go to hospital more readily if this sub-acute ward was an option, instead of letting his condition reach the acute stage and blow out,” she said.

Her son’s mental health journey has involved various changes in diagnosis and support over the years. It is not induced by alcohol or drugs.

She said when her son was in the low dependency ward, he repeatedly asked for prevention planning such as identifying triggers. He has only just recently received it.

“We need these facilities to support them in life,” Ms Wait said.

Every time she has asked the SERH general manager why the sub-acute ward is not open, the response invariably came back to money.

“It is always money, and recurrent funding, and attracting specialist staff to the area,” Ms Wait said. “My understanding is that a lot of psychiatric support is online.”

She said a real issue was the cost of psychiatrists.

“Sometimes after you have been discharged, you are expected to get your own psychiatrist,” Ms Wait said. “That is $600 at least for the initial consultation, if you can get into them.”

Before Christmas, she spoke with Member for Bega Dr Michael Holland about the issue and told him she was starting a petition. He was supportive.

“Unfortunately, the online petition needed to be on the Legislative Assembly platform but, not knowing that, I put the petition on change.org where I got 750 signatures in four days,” Ms Wait said.

“I have explained my huge mistake on the subsequent Legislative Assembly petition, but the numbers are only moving slowly upwards. I was not able to transfer the 750 signatures onto the legal Legislative Assembly petition, which was wicked.”

The petition currently has 245 signatures. It needs 500 signatures for the NSW Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson to record and respond to it, and 20,000 signatures to be tabled and debated in parliament. The combined population of the Eurobodalla and Bega Valley shires is 76,535.

Ms Wait said the mental health care system was broken.

“There is an obvious need, and more people need to know that this sub-acute ward isn’t being used.”

If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact:
Lifeline’s 24-hour crisis support line – 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467
Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800 or kidshelpline.com.au
MensLine Australia – 1300 789 978.