Inquiry into mental health announced
An inquiry into mental health will be led by former health and disability Commissioner Ron Paterson and will have a particular focus on equity of access to quality services, the Government has announced.
The inquiry panel will also include prominent names across mental health services and Maori and Pasifika health, including Sir Mason Durie and former Director of the Mental Health Foundation Dr Barbara Disley.
Health Minister David Clark said it would have a deliberately broad scope, and was expected to report back to Government by the end of October.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said change and ‘‘fresh thinking’’ was needed. ‘‘I want the inquiry to report back with a clear assessment of the current strengths and weaknesses of our community response to mental health, and of the response of the broader mental health system.’’
Mental health advocates have said any mental health review needed to stretch far beyond the performance of mental health services, and look at drivers of demand and suicide.
Anything less and it would be a ‘‘disaster’’ both in wasted time and money, said Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson.
The review was an election promise the Government vowed to begin within its first 100 days in office.
Robinson said it needed to tell New Zealand something new.
‘‘The terms of reference need to be broad enough to allow a real look at the big picture of mental health and wellbeing in New Zealand.
‘‘If they are confined to looking only at services it will have missed a major opportunity and actually we won’t make very much progress,’’ he said.
It needed to encompass what was driving the demand for mental health services and what was driving New Zealand’s high suicide rates, not just how services were responding to crises. It also needed to find solutions to effectively promoting skills and behaviours that built resilience nationwide.
About 50 per cent of New Zealanders would experience a diagnosable mental illness during the course of their lives.
Demand for mental health services had risen nearly 75 per cent in the last decade, placing a considerable strain on an alreadystretched public health system.
‘‘Often people are struggling to get support until they’re really in trouble and that’s just stupid - it costs more, it’s not helping the person or their family, or their community,’’ Robinson said.
‘‘And very importantly, this can’t be a talk-fest that goes on forever. These issues are clearly in front of us now, so the review needs to quickly lead to recommendations that can be turned into an action plan.
‘‘One of the dangers is that this review isn’t going to tell us anything we didn’t know already.’’
Opposition leader Bill English said the inquiry was not going to change anything.
‘‘There are stresses in the mental health sector, those can be written down and described in a week,’’ he said.
‘‘This inquiry will take most of the year, the recommendations will flow into the 2019 budget so nothing will happen until 2020. I think they’re playing for time, just kicking it down the road.’’
English said the Government should continue with spending $100m set aside by his previous Cabinet to tackle 17 ‘‘proven’’ initiatives to reduce demand for mental health services.
National Party spokesman for mental health Matt Doocey said a lengthy inquiry would just delay action.
Late last year, Ministry of Health officials briefed MPs on Parliament’s Health Select Committee that an inquiry was likely to take about a year to complete.
‘‘It will be looking at the current approach to mental health and how to achieve best outcomes. It will cover both mental health and addiction. And really the broadness of the inquiry is that it will cover the prevention of mental health problems and the promotion of wellbeing, as well as just a response to those who are suffering from mental illness,’’ ministry deputy chief policy officer Hannah Cameron said.