Mental health must be budget priority
AMA Queensland is calling for an urgent $700 million investment in mental health in this year's state budget.
The state budget is an opportunity to invest in mental health, including drug and alcohol treatment services and diversion programs, as recommended by the recent mental health inquiry.
AMA Queensland supports the recommendations of the inquiry and has called for a broad-ranging mental health and wellbeing summit, with a particular focus on pressures for doctors and medical students.
“The Queensland Government retains the disappointing title of being the Australian jurisdiction with the lowest investment in mental health per head of population in Australia,” AMA Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton said.
“In our recent pre-budget submission, we called for an urgent investment of $700 million in mental health.
“We need more beds available for patients presenting to emergency departments with mental health conditions, including dedicated beds for adolescent patients.
“We must review mental health funding models, focusing on how GPs are subsidised to support mental health and increased funding for community mental health services.
“Queenslanders are waiting up to two years to see a psychiatrist or psychologist. This is especially the case for the ‘missing middle’ - patients with symptoms too complex to be adequately treated by a GP, but who do not reach the threshold for specialised mental health services.
“The issue is even worse in regional, rural and remote Queensland with patients of all ages waiting longer in those areas.
“In the absence of services for these patients, GPs persevere to provide them with adequate care, but too many patients are ending up in our over-stretched EDs.
“We must also provide alternatives to EDs for people seeking mental health care, including peer- and clinician-led after-hours services and mobile crisis services.
“The recent mental health inquiry recommended strengthening illicit drug diversion initiatives. We agree that alcohol and drug issues should be treated as a health issue first and foremost, and we need investment in our mental health and alcohol and other drugs workforce.
“We are optimistic that the government will act on our budget submission and the parliamentary inquiry recommendations in tomorrow’s budget.”
The AMA Queensland Budget Submission 2022-23 is available here.