Jonathan Coleman National Party Associate Health Spokesman
27 April 2006
Mismanagement and mayhem in mental health
National's Associate Health spokesman, Dr Jonathan Coleman, is asking why DHBs are failing to spend all of their
allocated funding for mental health services when the mental health sector is in so much trouble.
"The Mental Health Commission report 'The Acute Crisis', released today, paints a disturbing picture of acute mental
health services that are not meeting the needs of the populations they serve.
"The Director of Mental Health accepts the report's criticism of acute mental health services, and identifies staff
shortages and a lack of leadership as a problem in the sector."
Dr Coleman says the key question is why millions of dollars specifically ring-fenced for acute mental health services
was not spent last year.
"It's not as if there is nothing that the money could be spent on. The only conclusion is that management of the sector
is sub-standard. This is yet another example of failure within the health sector under the stewardship of the current
Labour Government."
ENDS