Labor increases mental health investment but more needed
The AMA welcomes today’s announcement of a greater investment by Labor in mental health services.
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said it is another downpayment on the bigger long-term investment needed to make a real difference in meeting the growing mental health needs of the community.
“Today’s long overdue announcement from Labor recognises the problem of the lack of funding for mental health services,” Dr Pesce said.
“But the package falls short of being the comprehensive long-term Government solution to the critical problem of the difficulty of people with severe and enduring mental health problems accessing services in the community.
“Labor’s array of targeted measures will obviously go some way toward meeting need, but there is also a risk they will fragment services for patients in the community.
“A 21st century mental health response cannot be an either/or approach that pits hospital services against community-based services. It must be a comprehensive program where services are integrated and patients don’t fall through the cracks.
“The Labor measures individually could be expected to make some improvement, but they do not represent an integrated approach to build a substantial base of services for the future.
“The recognition of the need for more specialist psychiatry services in the community is welcome and something that the AMA has been specifically calling for.
“The potential to provide more services to patients with severe mental illness in the community, in private specialists’ rooms and through community-based mental health facilities, must be built on and enhanced. The funding for this measure is small given what we know about the size of the problem and the level of demand. The AMA will seek to be involved in the design and rollout of this measure to ensure that it properly addresses need.
“The AMA is disappointed that there is no additional capital or recurrent funding for the new psychiatric public hospital beds. These beds are the ultimate safety net in our health system for people with severe mental health problems.
“We welcome the focus on men’s health, the more comprehensive approach for children, and the targeted suicide funding, especially for suicide hotspots such as the Gap in Sydney.
“The Prime Minister said today that mental health would be a second term priority for her Government, if re-elected. That commitment must be backed by a commitment to at least match the magnitude of funding and support in the Coalition mental health package.”
27 July 2010
CONTACT: John Flannery 02 6270 5477 / 0419 494 761
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