This week, the psychiatrists at Northpark Private Hospital were informed by email about new changes to the allied health-driven day programmes offered by the hospital to address financial concerns.   

These changes include terminations of employment of 5 therapy staff this week, including 2 psychologists, a social worker, a therapy assistant and an art therapist.  These clinicians provide a valued service to mental health consumers both as inpatient and outpatients.  Due to these staff cuts, the day programmes will be cut.

These decisions have been made without any consultation with the psychiatrists.  There has been no consideration for the mental health consumers these changes directly effect and no respect to the issue of terminating clinicians / programmes with consumers in a respectful and therapeutic manner.  The dedicated and talented staff involved have equally not been validated for their excellent work, especially throughout the challenges of the pandemic.      

Please consider signing this petition to Healthscope to advocate for these staff members, the valuable services that will be lost through their termination, and the devastating effect these changes will have on the well-being of the consumers that we all work to protect.