Every mental health patient should be allocated to a community care team as soon as they are discharged from hospital, the NSW Greens say.
Only 57 per cent of mentally ill patients were given community care in the week after leaving hospital in the past financial year, Fairfax reports.
After they leave hospital patients are at higher risk of suicide and are vulnerable to relapse.
But 43 per cent either have to make their own arrangements or struggle without care.
"Patients emerging from a mental health episode are dumped out of hospital to fend for themselves," Greens NSW MP John Kaye said in a statement on Monday.
"No-one checks on their medication or their state of mind and they have no one to talk to."
Mr Kaye said it was "scandalously low" that only 57 per cent of patients were seen by a community team in their first week post-discharge.
But he also attacked the government's target of 70 per cent.
"It is assumed that 30 per cent make their own arrangements," he said.
"Successive health ministers fail to see the system from the patient's point of view."
Mr Kaye said the acute and community sectors should be linked to ensure that every patient is allocated to a community care team on discharged from hospital.
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