SCOTT LEVI, ABC CENTRAL COAST: With the news that the public psychiatrists will be resigning en masse today or possibly this week in New South Wales over a 25 per cent pay increase demand, according to the Herald late last week, that equates to an extra $88,000 on a salary of around $480,000 per annum. If you are a public hospital psychiatrist, give us a call. Let us know if that's not the case, but it seems to be a pretty good whack. Anyway, let us know. We have spoken to your ASMOF representative, but unable to speak directly to a practicing psychiatrist. We've spoken to one who works in private practice on your behalf, but we'd love to hear from someone, because I think the public support is waning once those figures were released last week. Maybe the next story will help fill the free mental health gap on the Central Coast. If the psychiatrists aren't going to be working in our public hospitals, people on the coast can access free walk-in mental health support and care with the brand new Tuggerah Medicare Mental Health Centre opening today, apparently.
Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, and Local Member for Dobell, Emma McBride, joins us on the line. Good morning.
ASSISTANT MINISTER EMMA MCBRIDE: Good morning, Scott. Good to be with you.
LEVI: I hope you've got your sharp scissors ready to go to cut the ribbon.
MCBRIDE: This is a really important day for the Central Coast, Scott, for your listeners. For too long it's been very hard for people in the community to access free walk-in mental health support and care. We know that lots of people in distress haven't been able to find that in the community. And as a former mental health worker myself, I'm so pleased that this will now be available, free walk-in without a referral or an appointment, for local people on the Central Coast.
LEVI: Where is it located?
MCBRIDE: So this Medicare and Mental Health centre will be located at 1 Pioneer Avenue in Tuggerah in the Business Park, a very convenient location for local people. It will be open from 8:30 to 5 o’clock Monday to Friday. But importantly, Scott, it's also open by appointment earlier or later to be able to meet the needs of individuals or families in our community.
LEVI: Who can access?
MCBRIDE: This is open to any resident of any- any local person can access it. They can phone 1-800-595-212, or they can walk in and it will be available for immediate support for someone in distress or ongoing care for someone who has more continuing mental health needs. And Scott, these centres are staffed by qualified and experienced mental health workers. In the centre at Tuggerah, there's psychologists, social workers, counsellors and people with their own direct experience. So sometimes talking to someone who's walked in your shoes is the best help and support that you can receive.
LEVI: And it's often the family who reach out, isn't it? If someone's having an episode or they're worried about self-harm or whatever, it's often the family. Are they accommodated?
MCBRIDE: Families and carers are also very welcome to be able to contact the service, to walk in. You're right, it's often families or those closest to you who are impacted and who reach out for support on your behalf. So yes, any family member or carer is very welcome to contact the 1-800 number or to walk into the service at Tuggerah to be able to receive advice, support, information and ongoing care.
LEVI: ABC Central Coast. We’re speaking with Emma McBride, the Member for Dobell at 8:51. And this centre opens today. What about this issue with the psychiatrists? Could this take some pressure off the public hospital system?
MCBRIDE: We have seen that with the opening of the Medicare urgent care clinics, that they have relieved pressure on emergency departments in particular and inpatient units. So, yes, I would hope that by people being able to receive support when they're distressed, that they don't end up in crisis, and in the public mental health units where I used to work. So we're working very closely with Central Coast Local Health District, and with the Glen, and other local mental health and support providers to make sure that people can get the most appropriate care that meets their needs closer to home.
LEVI: Is there evidence of efficacy for these types of facilities?
MCBRIDE: There is very strong evidence for earlier intervention and wraparound support and care, and that's what someone will receive at a Medicare mental health centre. They'll be able to talk to someone immediately, and they'll be able to then be either supported within the centre or referred to the most suitable service for them, but within the centres themselves. So mental health social workers, registered psychologists, counsellors, a whole multidisciplinary team that can provide the wraparound support and care that someone in distress or their family or caregivers need.
LEVI: What if they need to be somewhere where they're got admission, you know, to some sort of facility that's secure for their own benefit? Is that something that this centre could refer on?
MCBRIDE: That's exactly right, Scott. So if someone comes in distress, but then, you know, ends up in crisis, they're working very closely with the New South Wales Health Safe Havens and other appropriate services to make sure that the person at that point in time gets the most appropriate and suitable support and care for them. And also, Scott, we've invested another close to $30 million in the most recent federal budget to set up a virtual network of expert psychologists and psychiatrists, so if someone does need that more specialist care, that that will be available either face to face or over the phone or video, depending on their needs and what most suits them and supports them at that time.
LEVI: That might be very useful with what's happening with the psychiatrists in New South Wales at the moment. And on to other health issues. Wyong Maternity in the news again today. Maternity services in general. Would you like to see Wyong working for the women of your electorate, particularly, because it's been a bit of a white elephant, hasn't it?
MCBRIDE: This is something that means so much to people and families on the Central Coast. And I've spoken to David Harris, the Member for Wyong and the Minister for the Central Coast. As soon as I saw this news, I was shocked to see this news report. And in a community like ours with young families, we want to see the best services available to them close to home. And I know that Minister Harris is working very closely with the New South Wales Minister. And yes, in the redevelopment of Wyong Hospital, we want to make sure that there are plans for and the right kind of services available to women and families in our community, especially on the north end of the Central Coast.
LEVI: Another big issue in your electorate- and a wonderful jewel in the crown, really, in your electorate, grave concerns for the beautiful- or it might be just over the border, I don't know, but it's certainly close enough. Grave concerns for the beautiful Ourimbah University campus, with flagship courses like Sports Science taken by Newcastle Uni to bolster the Newcastle campus, really to the detriment of Ourimbah. What are you doing to make sure that campus isn't diminished and continues to give an opportunity to young locals?
MCBRIDE: This campus, as you know and your listeners know, Scott, is so important and has been for decades for local people, whether it's school leaver or someone, you know, in the middle of their career looking to upskill and retrain. And what we've done is secured a more than $17 million investment, working in close partnership with Central Coast Industry Connect, the food manufacturers of our region, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah campus and this investment from the Commonwealth to develop a food manufacturing hub. And just before Christmas, I saw the first phase of this, a full production line with the most current up to date equipment so that our local people are training on the most up to date equipment, and also that businesses, small to medium enterprises, can trial a new product on a production line without having to put one of their lines down in their facilities. So this will generate, we expect more than 75 jobs during construction and contribute close 200 jobs ongoing. We know that food manufacturing is one of the biggest sectors on the Central Coast, contributing to our local economy and importantly, employing local people in high skilled jobs that lead to really good careers.
LEVI: Have you been able to locate that on the campus?
MCBRIDE: Yes, that facility is at the Ourimbah campus, at the back of the campus, next to the Regional Development Authority for those who know the campus well. And I had a visit with Central Coast Industry Connect headed up by Frank Zammit. And I'm really pleased to see that really strong partnership between the universities, between Central Coast Industry Connect and the Commonwealth, bringing together the skills, expertise, research and resources to be able to really bolster the food industry on the Central Coast. It is one of our biggest industries on the Central Coast, providing quality local jobs and also opportunities, and really boosts and contributes to the local economy.
LEVI: That answers one of my questions. I went for the loop walk. It's such a great campus the other day and noticed all of the cars up there at the top end, that big facility. So that's where they've moved in?
MCBRIDE: Yes, it is. And it's really good that co-location is such a strong synergy between...
LEVI: [Interrupts] So you've got the food science too, haven't you? They can cross across.
MCBRIDE: They do, Scott, you're absolutely right. Such a strong history, strong school of food science. So really bringing together food scientists, manufacturers and the right resources and support from the Commonwealth and industry to make this a really big success and to build on the strong tradition of food manufacturing we have on the Central Coast and really grow the sector and support our local economy and local jobs.
LEVI: All right. Thanks so much for joining us.
MCBRIDE: Thanks, Scott.
LEVI: Emma McBride there. The Member for Dobell.