It seems we're now facing the consequences of a crumbling mental health system

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission's found more than three thousand fewer people accessed specialist services in the year to June - than the previous period.

It's also 16-thousand fewer than four years ago

College of Psychiatrists NZ chair Hiran Thabrew says patients are coming through with more complex needs - and yet we're not doing what it takes to keep our workers in the public system or even in the country.

He says we now have 650 mental health vacancies, including 130 psychiatrists, in the public system.