Ramsay Clinic Northside - St Leonards, New South Wales

Sophie B.

I resorted to public healthcare mental health system and received far superior (and free) support and care due to the negligence and poor quality of service given by this institution.

I have listed my concerns for those interested in this practice below:

No Formal Assessment:
I was a patient of Dr. Dillon Chea for approximately two years, initially seeking a formal ADHD assessment to address focus issues at university. However, Dr. Chea diagnosed me based on his own judgment without conducting formal ADHD tests like the DIVA or Connors Test—tests my previous high school assessment had found negative. This lack of proper assessment was noted as unusual by my GP, a neurologist, and the public health doctor I later consulted.

Poor Communication & Negligence:
With consultations costing $399 each, I expected superior services compared to public mental health care. However, my experience at Hornsby Mental Health Unit was far better. They conducted two consultations of over an hour each, performed two blood tests to monitor my new bipolar medications, provided a contact number for support during office hours, and followed up with four phone calls to check on my symptoms.In contrast, my GP called Dr. Chea four times over two months, including once during an appointment with me, and sent multiple emails that have yet to be answered—2–3 months later. When I raised this issue with Dr. Chea, he claimed to be unaware of it but still did nothing about it in subsequent sessions.

Medication Mismanagement:
A year ago, I was prescribed Wellbutrin, an antidepressant with stimulant-like properties, which triggered a bipolar manic state. I experienced severe shaking, panic, and heart palpitations aswell as music in my head for hours on end. Despite emailing and calling the practice multiple times requesting anti-anxiety medication, my requests were ignored and not answered. When I brought this up a year later, Dr. Chea again claimed he was unaware of the issue. Over two years I was perscribed 4-5 antidepressants without proper monitoring. Genetic metabolisation testing was completed however my psychiatrist seemed to have forgot this and suggested it as the next step to take in 3 sessions over 3 months apart showcasing the shockingly little understanding of patients information. I was even asked what antidepressant I was on in one session which has obvious dangers to it if a patient provides incorrect info.Meanwhile, he increased my stimulant dosage, prescribing a slow-releasing medication that worsened my symptoms and caused rapid Bipolar cycling, even whilst I brought up concerns that it was making me shake and have music in my head.

Failure to Diagnose:
Despite bringing up my concerns over stimulants exacerbating my anxiety and sleep issues (which I now know were symptoms of Bipolar mania), they were consistently dismissed. I was left untreated for my Bipolar disorder, causing my symptoms to worsen to the point of stuttering, slurring speech, and being unable to sleep until 2-4 am nightly for about seven months.

Public Healthcare vs. Private Care:
The public healthcare team at Hornsby Mental Health Unit identified my condition as Bipolar 2 with a likely family history within a single meeting, something Dr. Chea failed to recognize over two years of paid consultations. SSRI’s and stimulants prescribed to me worsened my symptoms, causing rapid cycling and deterioration.

Conclusion:
Within just two weeks of being on bipolar medications prescribed by the public healthcare team, I feel significantly better. This is in stark contrast to the years of ineffective treatment under Dr. Chea that caused me to drop out of university three times due to worsening symptoms. While I acknowledge that mental health is not an exact science, the complete lack of communication, inadequate assessment, and prescription practices at this institution are unacceptable.

Amanda S.

It has taken me more than 16 months to write this review about what happened to me at Northside Clinic, because it was so traumatic.

Towards the end of 2023 I was diagnosed with binge eating disorder & desperate to get help. My GP suggested that I be admitted as an inpatient to Northside’s Eating Disorders unit.

On their website it states the following:

Our dedicated team of psychiatrists, nurses, dietitians, therapists, and support staff work collaboratively to provide you with individualised care.
AND
Based on a thorough assessment, we develop a personalised treatment plan tailored to your specific eating disorder type and severity.

The process of applying for admission was excruciating in itself & there is not enough space here to write about that.

On the day of my admission I saw the dietitian who set my meal plan & told me to let her know how I went on it in case it needed adjusting. At the time she was heavily pregnant & told me she was in a rush & saw me hurriedly for just 15 minutes. I also saw the psychiatrist who had been allocated to treat me while I was there.

All the other inpatients in the unit were young women with anorexia. Much to my surprise I was put on exactly the same treatment program as them, because the psychiatrist told me that “all eating disorders have the same underlying causes.” So I went along with this.

I felt so out of place at age 64 with BED as it was like being in a draconian locked boarding school for anorexic girls, run on a penalty system of reward for compliance & If you didn’t comply you were penalised. This may have worked for anorexic girls however it was incredibly humiliating to be treated like this at my age & with BED.

I was also treated as a purger like the other patients, even though I explained many times that I didn’t purge. I was not believed & instead treated again like an anorexic, having my toilet locked, being made to count out loud while going to the toilet, & more.

Each day centred around the meals which were enormous & bulky & frequent. No sooner had you finished one meal than you were back for the next one. As a result, after a few days my stomach became distended & in pain. I pleaded with the supervising nurses that my meal sizes be reduced, but they told me that I would need to speak with the dietitian who was the only one with the authority to alter my meal plan. However when I asked to speak with the dietitian I was repeatedly told she wasn’t available. So I continued to comply & eat everything I was asked to eat in spite of my ever-increasing distress, discomfort & pain.

By this stage my stomach was so distended & in so much pain with the continuous forcing down of so much bulky food that one night I was up with dreadful vomiting (not purging!) all night. The next day I was told by staff that I had a gastric virus. I knew that I didn’t have gastric! My stomach couldn’t take any more of the huge amount of food being constantly forced into it. I was also told that I was being penalised for missing meals that day due to being unwell.

So once again I pleaded to see the dietician, only to be told yet again that she was unavailable. I was subsequently told that as she was heavily pregnant she wouldn’t see me because I had “gastric” which she didn’t want to catch. It was even more distressing when I saw that she was there sitting in the staffroom. Could she not have phoned me at the very least after my repeated requests to speak to her? And I knew I didn’t have gastric!

After another day of forcing down the huge bulky meals & another night of vomiting through the night, the next morning I begged to see the dietitian, any dietitian, only to be told yet again that no one was available. So I made the decision that it was simply not possible to continue & informed the staff that I would be discharging myself that day.

This unit is run is for people with anorexia & I was treated as one of them. It did not cater for my BED. There was nothing individualised about my care. I left Northside feeling gaslighted, mistreated & incredibly traumatised.

Sarah

Thank you to all the nurses and doctors and cooks who cared for me while I was there. There are many wonderful people in this place but you have to advocate for what you need if you’re going to get the most out of it. Special shoutout to Dr Hannon for being amazing.

On a serious note I was there it became very apparent that Ramsay Clinic is a for profit organisation who clearly push their staff too far and underfund the units, especially over holiday periods.

Also why on earth is this giant fish in this tiny tank? Really grim stuff - needs to be rehomed!!!

Fiona B.

I would like to put a very serious caution for people wanting a good rehabilitation place. This Ramsay Clinic is the worst place to go there is no duty of care and I will be raising this with the ombudsman for health Please do not send your loved ones here they will only be thrown out of the facility for no good reason if it suits them
I was told my daughter had taken a pill which made her sleepy she is detoxing. They didn't not give her a blood test searched the room and found a pill in a plastic bag not testing that either .
The Physicist at the time rang me and told me she would have to leave because of policy which I sort of understood but they would keep her over night because of their Duty of Care and they want to make sure she is ok this put my mind at rest a bit. This did not happened and she was thrown out that afternoon with a friend of mine who was sent to check her, as I live a long way away. The staff decided that she was her case worker and took her into a room and openly discussed her case and told her she would need to take her home now never once asked her for Case Worker credentials . My daughter didn't feel safe going home as she would be by herself. I ask myself are these people professionals and offer a supportive environment or is all they care about is money.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOU LOVED ONES HERE.

Kimberlee K.

I couldn’t have asked for better care to get me through stages of deep depression, PTSD, trauma, eating disorder & severe anxiety. The Dr’s & Nurses are their 24/7 & they understand. I owe my life to Ramsey Clinics. The accommodation is like a hotel & you feel safe knowing they have your back.
Thankyou to all Ramsey staff across all of NSW XX

Ally B.

So unprofessional. I’ve been calling since January with the promise of a call back. I finally get in touch with someone in April who tells me they can book me in for May and to send my referral. Sent my referral with no follow up for a month. Called a few more times with no answers. Finally got an answer and was told they can’t take any more clients and won’t accept me.

Diana S.

These guys discriminate and pick and choose who they want.
My brother who suffers with bipolar reached out for help. They have refused to take him on because he has criminal charges.
He was declined by the forensic psychiatrist, who didn’t bother to assess or even have a conversation with my brother , who regrets his actions while he was in mania, and wants to get help so he doesn’t reoffend.
They make you run around and get them paperwork for them to refuse you.
Seems like they like to take on “easy” patients.

Jade O.

To Whom It May Concern,
Ramsay Clinic Northside

I am writing to formally complain about the care I received during my recent stay at Ramsay Clinic Northside. I was admitted for urgent mental health support, including suicidal ideation, self-harm, and severe depression, but my experience left me feeling worse than when I arrived.

Key Issues
Overcrowding and Environment: The facility was overcrowded and included children, creating a chaotic environment. The clinic felt more like a prison than a therapeutic space, which hindered any sense of safety or healing.

Medication Errors: I was given the wrong medication on three occasions and only received the correct one after noticing the error myself on the fourth occasion. This repeated mishandling is deeply concerning.

Staff Conduct: While in a distressed state, visibly shaking and crying, a nurse simply took my phone for the night instead of offering support. This lack of compassion was unprofessional and unhelpful.

Lack of Psychiatric Care: I was told I would see the psychiatrist daily but only had one consultation during my stay. After discharge in August, I was promised follow-up care, which never occurred despite numerous attempts to contact the psychiatrist. I have since been unable to secure alternative psychiatric care.

Misdiagnosis Concerns: I was told I might have bipolar disorder, but no follow-up or confirmation was provided. This uncertainty has worsened my mental health.

Impact
The lack of support and continuity of care has significantly harmed my well-being. I am now being admitted to Gordon Clinic, as my condition has worsened due to the neglect I experienced.

Request
I urge you to review my case, address these issues, and implement corrective measures to ensure no one else endures a similar experience. Please provide a formal response detailing the steps you will take to address this matter.

Yours sincerely,
Jade O'kane