Current jurisdictional positions 

Across the College, all Branches have been advocating to, and often successfully collaborating with, their respective governments to identify and address the particular factors contributing to workforce challenges in their jurisdiction.  

The New South Wales workforce shortage was identified as a critical issue in 2022 with a specific advocacy document developed to support discussions with Government. Through the current crisis, our messaging has focused on ensuring the workforce shortages are rightly understood as a patient safety and public health crisis. We have been advocating for members working in an under-resourced system while emphasising the wider impact of these shortages on the people seeking mental health care.  

The introduction of the mental health levy in Queensland has ring-fenced funding for mental health services in the state. The Branch is advocating to the Government for greater transparency on the allocation of this funding and a comprehensive workforce gap analysis.   

In South Australia, the Branch was closely involved in the development of the SA Psychiatry Workforce Plan, which was funded by the Government and is pending release.  

The Tasmanian Branch is working closely to advocate for the continued funding of federally funded training posts. The loss of these positions represents the most significant threat to the state’s mental health system. 

As a result of the collaboration between the Victorian Branch and the Government, psychiatry training positions in the state have tripled since COVID-19. The Branch is now focused on funding for the Victorian Psychiatrist Leadership Development Framework and for Director of Advanced Training positions. 

In Western Australia, the Government and the Branch have signed a Statement of Intent to formalise our collaboration on solutions to the psychiatry workforce shortage. An implementation framework is being developed in consultation with the Office of the Chief Medical Officer 

The smaller jurisdictions face unique challenges, particularly with retention, due to a limited capacity for psychiatrists to subspecialise. The ACT Branch is working with the Government on improving working conditions for staff specialists and trainees to reduce the vacancy rate (currently 25%). And in the Northern Territory, our advocacy is primarily focussed on community mental health services, as the training system is relatively robust.  

The College is finalising our election platform ahead of the 2025 Australian federal election. We’ll continue to call on all political parties to take proactive steps to address the psychiatry workforce shortages, and to support the struggling workforce by funding and implementing existing strategies. 

To learn more about the College’s media and advocacy work, contact media@ranzcp.org.