This is a brain and you should definitely not take me for my word when I say that politics question is interesting. Psychiatrists complain that mental health is too often overlooked as an "unsexy" area of medicine and public policy. As a result, it often takes the back seat when it comes to hospital funding priorities. Doctors complain that local health authorities have refused to fill key psychiatry jobs so they can free up money for other areas of health spending. Money budgeted for mental health is being spent on other services. "Mental health budgets are constantly being raided," Dr Galambos said. The NSW Mental Health Commission warned in late 2014 that it would consider asking the government for independent auditing powers if funding continued to be siphoned away from mental health services.

"The morale is going down": Alan Rosen. A new survey from three leading NSW medical associations reveals a steady reduction in the number of psychiatrists working in the public sector. The NSW branches of the Australian Medical Association and the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation collaborated with the college of psychiatrists to conduct the survey. About 80 per cent of the 135 doctors surveyed said psychiatry resourcing was inadequate or "grossly inadequate". A growing number of specialist psychiatry staff shortages are being filled by other health practitioners including senior nurses.

Alan Rosen, a professorial fellow at the University of Wollongong and a clinical associate professor at the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre, said psychiatrists were demoralised by the depletion of their resources in hospitals and in the community. "It's worsening and the morale is going down and you can see that in the intentions of those wanting to quit increasing from 25 per cent to 38 per cent," he said. "I think the survey is demonstrating the demoralisation and apathy of the professional body of psychiatrists towards the public sector in this state. "And that is most demonstrated by that number of how many are thinking of leaving the public sector." Professor Rosen said too much money has been taken out of local health district mental health budgets for other purposes "so the CEOs come in on line and retain their jobs and bonuses".

"This has been quite blatant over the years and has accelerated since the present government has been in power," he said. Professor Rosen said there had been an extra $38 million per year in the NSW mental health budget, but "there are estimates that four or five times that amount has been taken out of the budget every year before it is spent". "The budget is only nominal. Mental health services are very depleted in some local health districts and psychiatry positions are left unfilled." Professor Rosen said local health districts had also siphoned money away from community health teams because "they think they won't be seen". But removal of community resources had contributed to blockages in hospital emergency departments which made it harder for patients to be admitted.

"The depletion of community teams means it becomes hectic in hospital inpatient units," he said. "It all becomes a looming crisis in being able to provide adequate mental health services in each catchment." The Minister for Mental Health, Pru Goward, said psychiatrists perform a vital role across the health system but "workforce and service agreements are a matter for the Ministry of Health and Local Health Districts". Ms Goward said the government had allocated $1.7 billion for mental health in 2015-16, but did not address concerns about money being siphoned into other areas of health. NSW Chief Psychiatrist Murray Wright said NSW Health takes the concerns of psychiatrists "very seriously" and the workforce shortage was being addressed.

"Local Health Districts have assured me that they are implementing recruitment strategies to deal with what are, in many instances, long-term challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled psychiatrists," he said. Dr Wright said the survey's sample size was small and the report's "best guess" was the response rate represented 30 per cent of psychiatrists in NSW. NSW Health employs more than 330 full-time equivalent psychiatrists as staff specialists as at October last year and more than 370 visiting medical officers in psychiatry who deliver public services throughout NSW. Dr Wright said consultant psychiatrists can choose between public and private sector work or a combination, and this impacts on the public sector's ability to attract and retain senior doctors, particularly in regional NSW. A care worker in the New England region said clients can only see a psychiatrist through a Skype appointment.

"Seeing one through community health takes months. We had a private psychiatrist who came to our town, but they no longer come here. How those with mental health issues cope is a constant and ever-evolving dilemma."