Four Corners is turning its spotlight on New South Wales’ crumbling public mental health system with a new episode titled Emergency, set to air Monday, 2 June at 8:30 PM AEST on ABC and ABC iview.
The investigation, fronted by reporter Avani Dias and produced by Amy Donaldson, digs into allegations that the state’s mental health care infrastructure is buckling under political neglect and chronic underfunding. The episode includes internal data and previously unseen CCTV footage showing patients in psychiatric crisis left waiting for days in emergency departments—while clinicians say they’re being pushed to discharge severely unwell individuals simply to free up beds.
Emergency zeroes in on the system-wide fallout: frontline workers exiting in droves, patients released before it’s safe, and a government many in the sector accuse of sidelining mental health priorities entirely. Dozens of psychiatrists have left the NSW public system, citing burnout, unsafe conditions, and the absence of meaningful policy reform.
The episode comes as pressure builds on state officials to explain years of shortfalls in mental health funding. For ABC, the report extends Four Corners’ track record of exposing institutional breakdowns with political consequences.
