‘Horrific’ yet ‘almost normalised’: Mental health patients in ED waiting hours for beds
ED doctors are dealing with a huge rise in the acuity and severity of mental health presentations.
“It is incredibly distressing to see patients who need admission to a specialist mental health bed waiting for over 24 hours in ED,” says Dr Sarah Whitelaw.
“The lights are on 24/7; it is noisy; there are people everywhere.
“They often do not sleep, and they do not have enough physical space to wander around … For the patient, the experience is horrific.”
It is a situation that occurs almost daily, says Dr Whitelaw, a senior emergency specialist in Victoria.
