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Govt 'doing the best we can' to deliver widespread changes to mental health services - Andrew Little

Andrew Little told Q&A the Government was on track to deliver the widespread changes in mental health services as promised.

The Heath Minister insists the Government is on track to deliver the widespread changes to mental health services that they promised in the wake of a major inquiry into mental health and addiction in Aotearoa.

Andrew Little says the $1.9 billion investment was always intended to rollout over 4-5 years, with early investment starting small in key infrastructure and ramping up over time.

He told Q+A that things were moving in the right direction.

“The frustration is real but we have a limited capacity to make change and get new workforce on board, and we’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got," he said.

It comes as the Government finally released the Interim Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission report into progress in developing and expanding services to enable more than 300,000 people to get the help they need.

The commission spoke to Government agencies, providers, advocates and people using mental health support.

It acknowledges some progress has been made, including setting up a national suicide prevention programme. However it also catalogues the frustration that, in other areas, there is still a long way to go, with people spoken to describing the rollout as inconsistent and slow, and arguing the funding is not being delivered fast enough.

He says the Government has ticked off big ticket items from the “to do” list, including setting up a Mental Heath and Wellbeing Commission, a Suicide Prevention Office and devising a Suicide Prevention strategy.

Little says ensuring access and choice for those who needed to access services was important, with just over 480 new full-time equivalent roles around the country delivering services.

“Not everybody will be seeing it but a lot of people are and it's making a difference.”

The Health Minister said everyone working in mental health would acknowledge the rollout hinged on finding people to help out.

"People on the frontline know the crisis that the system was in two or three years ago, and many of them are still feeling it and sensing it.

"There was a huge issue with the workforce – amazing workforce in mental health – who are feeling burnt out and stressed. And it's a sector that struggles to get new people into it. We are working with the sector and with others to get new people into it."

Little said that although “some people have claimed that it's haphazard … the ministry has to negotiate through DHBs, through general practice clinics".

"It’s complicated and the big challenge is getting the workforce on board to deliver, and so it has been uneven across the country, but it is happening and it's making a difference.”

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