00:00They've got their own fight over pain conditions, but nurses are among the health workers now
00:09being asked to plug holes left by psychiatrists, as are social workers, psychologists and GPs.
00:17The system is resilient, the system is agile.
00:20We have other health professionals stepping up, putting their hand up to play a role.
00:25The nurses and midwives associations called the government's plan ludicrous, and one
00:29of the psychiatrists who's leaving says the approaches of the Minister and the Premier
00:34are dangerous.
00:35When the disasters happen, and it's when, it's not if, they should be the ones that
00:40are being called in front of the corridors, not the poor social worker or psychologist
00:44or peer support worker who's been put into a position where they have to make a decision
00:49which is beyond their pay grade.
00:51We are not asking anyone to operate outside their scope of practice.
00:55The government says of the 205 resigning psychiatrists, 25 have changed their minds
01:00and 99 have agreed to delay their resignations, but 43 have already departed, with more on
01:07the way.
01:08They've been demanding a 25% single year pay rise to address chronic staff shortages.
01:14Our system has been crumbling for years.
01:16You know, doctors do not take this sort of action lightly.
01:20Psychiatrists say already mental health wards are being merged or closed, but the government
01:25says so far there's been a net loss of just eight beds, all here at Prince of Wales in
01:30Sydney's east.
01:31But with more doctors departing in the coming days, those numbers could well get worse.
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