A significant number of Australians access acute mental health care every year. Their needs are complex, and their care requires the specialised skills that only psychiatrists bring.

The absence of such specialist care or any delay in a person being able to access it, can lead to distress and harm. We need our mental health system to be fully staffed and adequately funded to ensure that no Australian misses out on critical psychiatric care at the most vulnerable times of their lives.

Ahead of the 2025 Federal Election, the RANZCP is calling on candidates to make mental health a focus of their campaigns. We want to see change in the system that will ensure equitable access for all, and ensure that Australians experiencing acute mental ill-health, are supported in the best way possible. We look forward to working with the next Australian Government to achieve this.

Over the previous parliamentary term, we saw very little advancement towards the aspects we call on the Government to achieve. We urge the next Government to do better, for all Australians.

Improving the mental health system can be achieved in many ways. 

The RANZCP has identified six key priorities it wants the next Government to focus on.

Priority 1: Enact the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy with progress published annually.

Priority 2: Invest $1m in subsidising 100 medical professionals to undertake the Certificate of Postgraduate Training in Clinical Psychiatry.

Priority 3: Invest $7.06m to extend the Psychiatry Interest Forum program until 2032 to continue to attract new doctors into the workforce.

Priority 4: Introduce and commit to a target to reduce the prevalence of mental health conditions and severe mental illness in all age groups in Australia.

Priority 5: Ring-fence a percentage of the annual health budget for mental health services, proportionate to the burden of disease mental health has on Australians.

Priority 6: Increase the Medicare rebate to 100% from 85% to reduce out of pocket costs for Australians who need to see a psychiatrist.

Read our full election platform:

Healing a broken system: Change is possible - 2025 Australian Federal Election Priorities