Mental Health System Needs Long Term Focus Not Constant Review and Funding Cuts
New Zealand’s mental health system is again spiralling downwards. But instead of receiving long-term, system-wide and
focussed attention, each crisis, symptomatic of a broken system, is met with review after review, all conducted in
isolation. That the Coroner has seen a pattern in a spate of recent homicide cases involving people with mental health
issues, and is concerned enough to review these cases together for systemic failures, should be more than enough for the
Ministry of Health and district health boards (DHBs) to take serious action.
‘It is an untenable situation’ says Marion Blake, CEO of Platform Trust. ‘Tragically, it seems that it takes devastating
and unnecessary deaths for the mental health service system to receive even a brief flicker of attention.’
At a time where better investment and an increase in personnel is unmistakeably critical, funding is instead being
reduced. The drive for DHBs to find fiscal savings and efficiencies is resulting in funds being mined from vital
community mental health services. Just weeks ago, the findings from the Director of Mental Health’s inspection at
Waikato DHB’s Mental Health and Addiction Services indicated a need for ‘adequate resources to meet staffing gaps’ and
identified that a systems-wide change is required – one that includes all community services, primary care, iwi,
consumers and family.
The latest review of Capital & Coast DHB’s mental health services, resulting from recent murder cases, comes at a time when the CCDHB is cutting
mental health spending. This is a clear demonstration of the futility of these piecemeal reactive reviews for the people
who are most affected by service issues.
‘Why must we wait to again review what we can clearly see is not working?’ asks Marion. ‘The mental health system as a
whole needs appropriate investment and continued focussed attention so that it can adequately meet the needs of New
Zealanders experiencing mental health issues and so that further tragedies can be avoided. These are our people who are
most at risk, and we are failing them.’
ENDS