Mental health short of 511 nurses
The Labour Government says it has invested more into mental health – including boosting the workforce – than anyone else, but critics say staffing shortages have reached ‘‘crisis’’ point.
In the past five years, psychologist vacancies increased by 135%, and both psychiatrist and mental health nurse vacancies increased by more than 90%.
Health Minister Andrew Little said the Government had increased the number of mental health jobs and also invested $1.9 billion into the sector in the past five years.
But National MP and mental health spokesperson Matt Doocey said the workforce was in ‘‘crisis’’ and too many people were not getting the treatment they needed.
Doocey received data from Little that shows psychiatrist vacancies increased from 75.5 to 154 (104%) between July 2017 and October 1 this year.
In the same time, mental health nurse vacancies increased from 266.6 to 511 (92%) and psychologist vacancies increased from 47.8 to 112.56 (135%).
‘‘Labour announced $1.9 billion for mental health after promising to transform the mental health system, and you have got to ask yourself where has all the money gone and why hasn’t it made a difference,’’ Doocey said.
He wanted nurses put on the tier 1 immigration list, which would let them apply for residency straight away. They were still on the tier 2 list, which required them to work here for two years before they could apply for residency.
‘‘It beggars belief that the Government stubbornly refuses to put skilled migrant mental health nurses on the immigration straight-to-residence list to prevent bed closures.’’
A Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission report released in March found long wait times for young people accessing mental health services.
It also found 20% of people were not followed up after leaving hospital, one in six had to be readmitted within 28 days, and the use of compulsory treatment and solitary confinement was higher for Ma¯ ori than for other groups.
Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson said the staff shortage meant ‘‘ridiculous’’ wait times and tougher criteria to be seen.
‘‘The crisis in mental health is not new – it has been rolling and building for several decades, and because of this there is no quick fix or solution.
‘‘Labour and National can both look each other in the eye and blame each other because they are both to blame.’’
The Government should invest in community peer-led services that could help prevent people needing specialist care, he said.
‘‘Politicians like to quote big numbers, but $1.9b is an increase of 18% when demand has grown by 35% – so it was inadequate right off the bat,’’ he said.
Little said the global shortage of health workers was decades in the making. The Government had increased health funding by 44% over the past five years to a record $24b a year and was training more nurses than ever – 8190 in 2021 compared with 7340 in 2017.