Ashton Mackender, 21, says he has presented to Wagga Base Hospital's emergency department more than 100 times in the past two years and, feeling rejected and afraid, went to Canberra in February to try to get help.

His claims are backed up by his partner Nick Castles, 24, and his close friend Suzy Fortington, who are supporting Ash to tell his story in the hope of improving access to treatment in Wagga for young people living with mental illness.

"It could save my life but also it could save many others that I know are struggling and are getting turned away," Ash said.

"I've suffered mental illness for most of my life. And it's just gotten worse. To the point where sometimes I need to go to the [Wagga Base] hospital for suicide attempts or psychosis.

"I usually wait about six to eight hours before I see the mental health team. So then I get assessed. And then, usually, they send me home, even though I am a huge risk to myself, or anyone else."

Ash said he felt trapped in a cycle of poor mental health despite his case being escalated in recent weeks to Murrumbidgee Local Health District chief executive Jill Ludford.

State member for Wagga Joe McGirr referred their concerns to Ms Ludford after Nick wrote to the MP asking for help in emails seen by The Daily Advertiser.

Ms Ludford declined to be interviewed, but said in a statement that no one was turned away from the clinically appropriate care they needed.

"Each patient's treatment is carefully considered and their mental health care, including admission to an inpatient unit, is assessed on a case-by-case basis," she said.

"There is a team of clinicians permanently employed in the Wagga Community Mental Health Service. This clinical team is complemented with psychiatrists who fly in to work in the district, and these doctors have a long-term commitment to patients in our region."

Ash said friends took him to Canberra Hospital on February 4, a decision he claims was supported by a Mental Health Emergency Consultation Service (MHECS) triage clinician who assessed him at Wagga Base Hospital.

But he claims Canberra Hospital staff then sent him back to Wagga because they received contradictory advice from a Wagga Base Hospital psychiatrist.

Suzy said Ash phoned her in the middle of the night to tell her he had been turned away.

"He rang me crying saying, 'No one's listening to me. No one understands me'. It breaks my heart," she said.

A Canberra Hospital spokeswoman said she couldn't comment on the specific circumstances of the case because of patient privacy.

She said patients presenting without a referral would have a "comprehensive assessment" that "may include contacting the relevant interstate mental health treating team or other support services related to the patient's case".

The incident prompted Nick's first email to Dr McGirr, in which he said Ash's "symptoms have threatened lives of multiple people including ambulance officers, police, myself and him".

"We believe the system is not working for Ashton and he needs hospitalisation before it gets worse and there is a loss of life. It is greatly affecting our daily living and life," Nick wrote.

"Please help us."

After being contacted by Dr McGirr, the MLHD referred Ash back to the Community Mental Health Service to see if the public outpatient clinic could help him.

Ash said he personally had found it difficult to access treatment at the Community Mental Health Service, and in Wagga's limited, cost-prohibitive private psychiatry system.

Dr McGirr has called for more resources to be provided at both a state and federal level to care for residents in the "missing middle" - those who don't require hospitalisation but whose mental health is too complex to be managed by a general practitioner and counselling alone.

"The main point is, I think the health service do try their best but I think we've got a gap in service provision," he said.

"We need to be looking at how we can improve the treatments that are available for these people."

Please call triple zero in an emergency or, if you need mental health support please contact any of these crisis helplines: