Kempsey mental health unit temporarily closed to cope with COVID staff demand

Mid North Coast Local Health District has confirmed the mental health unit will be back open and operational from next week.

There was growing community concern the facility had closed permanently.

MNCLHD chief executive Stewart Dowrick said patients impacted by the temporary suspension of services were able to access care and support at Port Macquarie.

"Services were temporarily paused to support short-term staffing of COVID-related services such as special health accommodation and the care of COVID-positive cases and their close contacts," Mr Dowrick said.

"During this time, people requiring inpatient mental health services were able to access this care at Port Macquarie's mental health inpatient unit.

"As the COVID-19 situation has eased in the area, mental health inpatient services will resume, as planned, at Kempsey next week."

Mr Dowrick said the MNCLHD's mental health team provides care and support to people from the Macleay Valley in a number of settings, including in their own homes.

The Health Services Union (HSU) pushed for reassurance in September the unit would remain operational and staffed.

HSU secretary NSW/ACT Gerard Hayes wrote directly to Mr Dowrick about "the lack of transparency and consultation that is required in instances of workplace change".

Mr Dowrick confirmed in a letter to Mr Hayes that at that time, there were no changes to the current status of services and staff rostered at the Kempsey District Hospital Mental Health Unit.

"We are all working in challenging conditions and I recognise and will reinforce the importance of genuine consultation across all stakeholders," Mr Dowrick said in response to the HSU's concerns.

MNCLHD has confirmed that of the 176 current active COVID cases across the region, more than half are children aged under the age of 15 years who are being treated at home.

The MNCLHD vaccination rates are now among some of the best in NSW which has worked to avert an overload of health services in local hospitals.

Port Macquarie leads the way with 93.7 per cent of the population now fully vaccinated and Kempsey 86.8 per cent double dosed.

All local government areas in the MNCLHD are now 90 per cent first dose vaccinated.

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