Chris Minns accuses college of restricting psychiatry positions contributing to mental health crisis

NSW Premier Chris Minns has accused the Royal College of Psychiatrists of contributing to the state’s mental health crisis by restricting the supply of trained professionals as he flags a greater reliance on counsellors and psychologists as part of the solution to a mass resignation of specialists.

But the college, which wrote to the premier after his remarks on Monday, said the comments suggested the government was “unfamiliar” with how accreditation in psychiatry functions, and said not having enough specialists would have “disastrous” consequences for the public health system.