Mental health patients have been found to wait longer for help in hospital emergency departments. There are concerns NSW hospital emergency departments are "far from the best" environment for mental health patients needing treatment and support. The latest NSW Bureau of Health Information data shows patients with mental health-related issues were more likely to spend more than four hours in an emergency department compared to patients without a mental health issue. Australia’s peak emergency medicine body said Wednesday’s report confirms many of its concerns about the treatment of mental health patients. Australasian College for Emergency Medicine president Simon Judkins said it was unsurprising that mental health patients rated their experiences of care in EDs lower than those without mental problems. "Hospital emergency departments, without adequate resources and support, are far from the best environments for patients experiencing mental health crisis," Dr Judkins said in a statement. The report also […]