Long waits in emergency departments highlight gaps in community mental health support
Staggering wait times in hospital emergency departments (EDs) for people with mental health conditions are drawing urgent attention in Victoria. Official statistics from the Victorian Agency for Health Information show a troubling trend: during the April to June 2025 quarter, only 4% of adult patients at Dandenong Hospital were transferred from the ED to a mental health bed within eight hours. This stands as the state’s lowest rate and is far below the statewide average of 44%. The data underscores a broader crisis in facilitating timely, appropriate care for individuals facing mental health crises.
Crisis points: why EDs are becoming the default option
With limited alternatives to hospital admission, many patients find themselves entering EDs seeking crisis support and rapid access to mental health beds. The gap is not just a statistic; it translates into hours of waiting, anxiety for patients and families, and a strain on hospital resources already stretched by rising demand. Experts warn that the absence of a strong community-based safety net risks driving more people toward EDs, where the environment is not always best suited to ongoing mental health care.
The role of community psychosocial support
Advocates say that robust psychosocial support services—delivered in homes and communities by trained workers—could reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and keep people well and independent. The not-for-profit Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia (MIFA) points to a market gap: approximately 460,000 Australians currently lack reliable access to essential community supports for their mental health conditions, and this number is projected to grow without targeted intervention.
What are psychosocial supports?
Psychosocial support covers housing assistance, employment help, social inclusion, family connections, and daily living skills. These services are designed to help individuals manage symptoms, maintain stability, and avoid hospital admissions when possible. Local leaders argue that filling the funding gap—at both state and federal levels—would enable community organisations to scale up these services for Greater Dandenong and surrounding areas.
Voices from the community
Firsthand accounts highlight the human cost of the current system. A long-time resident of Greater Dandenong recalled waiting up to 12 hours in the Dandenong Hospital ED years ago when seeking help for a family member with severe anxiety, depression, and complex trauma. Such experiences fuel calls for a preventative approach—one that connects families with timely community-based mental health support, rather than defaulting to emergency care in times of crisis.
National context: a national crisis in mental health services
A recent Australian Medical Association (AMA) report on 2022-23 admissions painted a worrying picture: patients spent an average of seven hours in ED before hospital admission, and the mental health system faced longer waits, reduced services, and a surge in severity. The report highlights record-high waiting times and historically low per-person bed capacity in mental health wards—only 27 beds per 100,000 Australians, the lowest on record. A significant share of patients spent more than 23 hours waiting for care, underscoring the need for systemic reform that extends beyond hospital walls.
What needs to happen next
In Greater Dandenong, MIFA’s CEO Tony Stevenson calls for a reciprocal plan between state and federal governments to fund and deliver psychosocial supports in the community. He argues that community mental health organisations are prepared to implement these services now, provided funding is available. The goal is to enable people to live safely and independently, reducing mental health crises that require ED presentations and hospital stays.
What hospitals and policymakers should consider
Monash Health, which operates Dandenong Hospital, faces the challenge of aligning ED demand with mental health bed availability. Policymakers should consider: expanding community-based psychosocial services; funding integrated care models that connect primary care, community mental health, and social supports; and investing in early intervention strategies to prevent crises from escalating to ED visits. Strengthened supports could shorten ED waiting times, improve patient outcomes, and reduce homelessness and poverty linked to untreated mental illness.
The path forward
As Victoria contends with one of the country’s most pronounced gaps in mental health care, the call for a coordinated, nationwide approach to funding community supports grows louder. With a more robust safety net that includes housing, employment, and social connection services, the health system can help keep people well, out of EDs, and living independently in their communities. Australia’s mental health system, stakeholders insist, should not rely on pontoon solutions that funnel vulnerable individuals into crowded hospital corridors when a supportive network at home can make a lasting difference.
