AMA delivers mental health petition to the Government
AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, has written to the Prime Minister and the Health Minister delivering a petition with more than 4400 signatures of people calling for the restoration of funding for mental health services provided under the Better Access Program.
The petition has been signed by doctors, other health professionals, carers, people who have family members with mental illness, and mental health patients.
Dr Hambleton said today that it is fitting that people affected by or concerned about the Budget cuts to locally available GP mental health services are voicing their protests during Mental Health Week.
“The AMA is again calling on the Government to restore the Better Access funding or to at least provide a 12 month moratorium on the cuts to allow proper consideration of the findings of the Senate Inquiry into Mental Health Services, which are yet to be delivered,” Dr Hambleton said.
“There is strong widespread community opposition to the Government’s Budget cuts, as shown by the record number of submissions to the Senate Inquiry and the response to the AMA petition.
“The Government should be listening to the views of the health professionals, carers, families, and patients who will be adversely affected by the cuts when they take effect from 1 November.
“The Better Access Program was working and working well, with plenty of evidence – including an independent analysis – to back up its success.
“The program has been supporting the delivery of GP mental health services at the local community level to around 1 million people each year.
“But the Government has chosen to redirect the funding away from general practice to other mental health services that lack the strong evidence base and broad support of the Better Access Program.
“The AMA urges the Government to heed the concerns of mental health professionals and people affected by mental illness and either restore the Better Access funding or put in place a moratorium to allow proper consideration of the Senate Inquiry report,” Dr Hambleton said.
12 October 2011
CONTACT: John Flannery 02 6270 5477 / 0419 494 761
Geraldine Kurukchi 02 6270 5467 / 0427 209 753
Follow the AMA Media on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ama_media
Follow the AMA President on Twitter: http://twitter.com/amapresident