Home / Health / Ramsay Health Care to Shutter 17 of 20 Mental Health Clinics Nationwide
Ramsay Health Care to Shutter 17 of 20 Mental Health Clinics Nationwide
24 Jul
Summary
- Ramsay Health Care to close 17 of 20 psychology clinics by August 2023
- 24.6% of Australians delayed or skipped mental health treatment due to cost in 2024
- Financial stress is an increasing cause of mental illness, with 34% struggling to cope on their income
In a concerning development for Australia's mental health landscape, Ramsay Health Care, the country's largest private hospital operator, has announced plans to shutter 17 of its 20 psychology clinics across the nation by the end of August 2023. This move aims to create a "more flexible and sustainable model" of mental health care, though it will undoubtedly put additional strain on public psychology services.
The mass closures come as new government data reveals a troubling trend - more Australians are delaying or forgoing mental health treatment due to financial pressures. According to the National Mental Health Commission Report Card for 2024, released just this past Thursday, 24.6% of people either delayed or did not see a psychologist or psychiatrist in 2024 because of the cost, up significantly from 12% in 2020/21.
Financial stress is also proving to be an increasingly common driver of mental illness, with the report showing the rate of people finding it "difficult to cope" on their income has doubled to 34% from November 2020. This has led to calls from the opposition for the federal government to make mental health a "national priority" amid concerns that the Albanese administration has "completely neglected" the issue.
