“We don’t want this action to take place. We value the work that you do, but we as a government are not in a position to offer wage increases akin to around about $90,000,” he said.

“Don’t do this to patients. Don’t do this to the healthcare system that I know you love and support. Don’t do this to your colleagues who I know you value and trust,” Park said.

What’s the dispute about?

“The [health] minister is well aware that there is already a dangerously understaffed mental health service with a staffing shortfall of 140 psychiatrists in NSW, and he has done nothing to fix this.”

Is there a pay disparity?

According to data from ASMOF, public health specialists, including psychiatric consultants, in NSW are the lowest paid in the country.

According to AMSOF the gap in pay widens when you take into account payment for on call and overtime.

A first-year consultant in Western Australia would earn a guaranteed minimum income 51.6 per cent higher than their NSW counterpart, while in the Northern Territory, they would make 44.6 per cent more.

The pay gap widens further when factoring in on-call pay and overtime.

NSW health dealing with a ‘chronic workforce shortage’

NSW’s public mental health system has the capacity to employ over 400 psychiatrists but is failing to fill these vacant positions.

“At its heart, the issue is about patient safety and care. The same conditions that lead to burnout among psychiatrists also result in poorer outcomes for the people they’re trying to help.”

Could mass resignations of psychiatrists lead to wider impacts?

“Industrial representatives or unions, depending on the nature of the job being done, will say, ‘Look, that’s what our mates over in New South Wales or Victoria or South Australia are getting’, and then everybody who wants that outcome will use that as a precedent,” he said.

“The attitudes of the key players, including whether the participants have the stomach for it; how severe the labour shortage is in other states; what alternative income opportunities are available if people quit; and, critically, the outcome in NSW.”

Tasmania’s strategy to address psychiatrist shortages

SBS News has contacted health unions in other states and territories.