The Mater Mental Health Centre at Waratah is overrun, under-resourced and at times lacking compassion, a whistleblower says.
Wayne Barrett, who spent three weeks there across April and May this year, said "the place is crumbling".
Mr Barrett, 63, of Waratah, said his stay was due to "increasing levels of anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder".
"At the time, I was in a state of constant agitation and suicidal ideation. I was experiencing a period of psychosis," said Mr Barrett, a former office manager for a state MP and minister.
"I was there because I have chronic mental illness. I discharged myself after only three weeks. I should have been there for six weeks.
"I felt my condition was worsening while I was there due to the negative interactions with staff."
He felt the centre was sometimes lacking empathy and a will to help him recover.
In a complaint to Hunter New England Health, Mr Barrett listed a range of concerns.
"Every one of the issues I listed are resource issues - there is a lack of resources there."
In response to his complaint, Hunter New England Health wrote that "we are working with the team ... to discuss how we can make the inpatient unit a more therapeutic environment".
"The comments you have raised about feeling isolated, scared and overwhelmed will inform this."
It was reported in The Sydney Morning Herald last Saturday that staff specialist psychiatrists working across NSW's public health system were threatening a mass resignation, amid a push for a 30 per cent pay rise.
The psychiatrists highlighted a "persistent and chronic understaffing of psychiatric services across NSW Health, leading to serious concerns around patient safety".
Mr Barrett said this reflected his experience at the Mater, which he alleged had a few "extra patients sleeping in the corridors".
He said his previous stays at the Mater were better.
"Pre-COVID, the last time I went in there, it was a much more caring and compassionate place," he said.
He was advised on several occasions during his recent stay at the Mater to "transfer to a private hospital for treatment".
"I'm a socialist and I believe the public health service is for everyone. The resources given to public health are appalling."
Mr Barrett said another issue he had with the Mater related to his medication.
"I had a change to medication just prior to admission," he said.
"A psychiatrist put me on a non-therapeutic dose of lithium."
He was also taking the antidepressant Pristiq.
"The impact of taking Pristiq with lithium was not explored or discussed," he said.
A staffer at the Mater suggested weaning him off Pristiq.
"I opted to do it cold turkey," he said.
"The clinician did not explain or explore the possible physical and psychological impact of doing this."
Coming off the drug was horrifying.
"I experienced hallucinations, terrors and did not sleep for about three days.
"It was dangerous. I had out of body experiences. I was suicidal and became, I hate to say it, homicidal."
When he was coming off the drug, he was "told to go to bed at 9pm".
"I couldn't go to bed. I was scared and curled up in a ball.
"I felt some staff lacked empathy about what is required to work in a mental health environment."
Mr Barrett believed he was "one of the few people that could sign myself out" during his stay at the Mater.
He believed many people were there involuntarily "for amphetamine psychosis".
"Maybe that's why they're running it like a jail," he said.
"I'm not judging those people in there with amphetamine psychosis, they're taking them for a reason."
But he wondered why these people were "in an acute mental health ward" and not a specific drug and mental health facility.
"Up until COVID, I believe there was a separate ward specifically for drug and alcohol-affected people," he said.
He also had issues after his discharge from the centre.
"I was not referred to other services for follow up, nor did anyone talk through any safety netting once I left the hospital," he said.
"My discharge plan was not followed in a timely manner. I had no case manager or follow-up calls.
"In previous stays there, I did get follow-ups."
Hunter New England Health's response to his complaint addressed this.
"I was very sorry to learn that your discharge was not well planned and that there was no liaison with your partner about your safety, or the plan for follow up when you left hospital," the letter said.
"We have discussed with our inpatient and community teams the importance of comprehensive discharge planning."
A Hunter New England Health spokesperson said the district was committed to "timely and appropriate care" at the Mater.
It could not comment on "specific details of patient care due to privacy", but was "sorry this patient's experience fell below their expectations".
District officials had "met with this patient to apologise and address their concerns".
The spokesperson said the Mater was a "100-bed facility, which provides acute mental health inpatient care and treatment for people with mental health concerns".
"We acknowledge there are periods of high demand," the spokesperson said.
However, it said the Mater was "appropriately staffed and resourced to provide safe, high quality and compassionate care to patients".
The Mater team included "psychiatry, psychology, nursing, social work, occupational therapy and substance withdrawal services".
They worked together to provide "safe, evidence-based and patient-centred care".
The district was "committed to improving patient communication".
This included ensuring there was "a clinical handover to a community-based mental health care team, if required".
It also committed to a "follow up phone-call to the patient post discharge, providing a copy of the discharge letter to the GP".
The health district said those who need urgent mental health support could call its mental health line on 1800 011 511.
- Support is also available by phoning Lifeline 13 11 14; Mensline 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
