We wish to express our dismay at and condemnation of the sudden closure of the youth mental health USpace at St Vincent's Private Hospital on Friday 17th September, to provide beds for COVID patients in Sydney.

It's well recognised that Australian children and young people are disproportionately suffering acute psychological and psychiatric distress during the global COVID 19 pandemic. A joint report from Mission Australia and Black Dog Institute shows that one in four young Australians experienced mental health challenges during 2020.  The head of the AMA, Dr Omar Khorshid, wrote on September 17th 2021 that: "The mental health crisis among the young is upon us."

The closure of USpace at this time sends a resounding message that our young people's mental health is not a top priority. Regardless of the rationales given by St Vincent's Hospital and NSW Health, it tells the many Australian adolescents struggling with mental illness that their needs are not as important as COVID patients.

USpace doesn't just service Sydney. The ACT doesn't have its own paediatric/adolescent mental health ward and patients travel from there and other regional locations.  The decision to close the ward leaves families across NSW - at the worst possible time - without access to a service that has been life-saving for many.

Every patient at USpace has a life threatening illness. Telehealth services cannot be an adequate replacement, despite admirable efforts by the USpace multidisciplinary team. The patients at USpace are hospitalised because they have already been assessed as not being treatable at home, and because parents and carers don't have the resources to adequately and safely support their young person at home.

We urge the Board and the Executive Leadership Team of St Vincent's Health Australia to reconsider this hasty decision. Please reopen the ward to treat the mental health of our young people as soon as possible.