Psychiatric nurses in phones protest

Psychiatric nurses are not answering phones to distressed patients as part of industrial action over the understaffing of mental health services.

Patients trying to contact their assigned community mental health nurses via mobile numbers are receiving voicemails stating the nurse is “advised not to answer” because of an industrial relations’ dispute and, in case of emergency, to ring the local day hospital.

At larger psychiatric units, only administrative staff are answering phones. Psychiatric nurses are refusing.