..... of $27.45m for crisis mental health services
Health Minister Ayesha Verrall demonstrated she has become a dab hand at ducking being needled at Question Time, when she was pressed to explain what has happened to many millions appropriated for mental health services in last year’s Budget.
In Parliament this week, she was questioned only about one chunk of the funding – a $27.45 million portion – and about why less than $1 million of this has actually been spent on the services it was intended to provide.
National’s Matt Doocey asked her:
Why did a mental health patient wait 94 hours in the Auckland Hospital emergency department in late March, and how much has been spent of the $27.45 million announced for crisis mental health services in Budget 2022?
Hansard records this response:
Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL (Minister of Health): Firstly, the head of the hospital has apologised to these patients, and I agree that this kind of experience for patients is unacceptable.
To the first part of that question, I am advised that the patient arrived at a very busy time in the emergency department and for the acute mental health inpatient service. A suitable bed was not available and the patient was not well enough to be discharged at the time. The staff of the hospital searched tirelessly for a bed until they found one. In the meantime, this patient was assessed and treated by staff in a bed in the short-stay unit.
To the second part of the question, Budget 2022 included a specialist mental health and addictions services package within which is the delivery of eight community-based alternative crisis services across a mix of small, medium, and large areas of New Zealand. Of the $2.5 million available this year, the estimated spend at 30 June will be $0.825 million. The commencement of the spend has been slightly delayed, but I am advised that five services are due to begin in June 2023.
So far, so good. But check out the follow-up question and Doocey’s answer:
Matt Doocey: So is the Minister saying, on one hand, mental health patients are waiting up to 94 hours in emergency departments and, on the other hand, of the $27.5 million announced for crisis mental health services, less than $1 million of that has been spent, and can the Minister tell the House what the connection between those two is?
Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: Well, it’s not for me to tell the House what that member thinks the connection between those two things is, because, of course, it is not clear that that patient would have been suitable to move to a community setting. However, I am clear that those services were part of a budget that spending for that rolled up over time, and those services are due to start in the coming months.
But hold on. Doocey asked the minister to tell us what she thinks is the connection, not to muse on what he might think.
Now let’s look at the next bit of her non-answer:
However, I am clear that those services were part of a budget that spending for that rolled up over time, and those services are due to start in the coming months.
Anyone care to enlighten us about what that means?
Next question:
Matt Doocey: How will we ever know whether that patient would have qualified for that crisis mental health service, when the Minister has admitted the Government has failed to spend the money promised on that initiative?
Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: I am advised the services will be stood up in June.
The question – as readers can see – was not answered.
Matt Doocey: So how will the service that is going to be stood up in June help a patient that waited for 94 hours in an emergency department, that was described by one health professional as the longest wait time for a mental health patient ever in New Zealand’s emergency department, help that person?
Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: I understand the member’s frustration with that situation and I have also said that it is unacceptable. But that member makes an assumption about the clinical needs of that patient that neither of us are in a position to make.
Point of Order can understand Doocey’s frustration, too.
The Ministry of Health website tells us how much money was appropriated for mental health services:
Hansard records this response:
Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL (Minister of Health): Firstly, the head of the hospital has apologised to these patients, and I agree that this kind of experience for patients is unacceptable.
To the first part of that question, I am advised that the patient arrived at a very busy time in the emergency department and for the acute mental health inpatient service. A suitable bed was not available and the patient was not well enough to be discharged at the time. The staff of the hospital searched tirelessly for a bed until they found one. In the meantime, this patient was assessed and treated by staff in a bed in the short-stay unit.
To the second part of the question, Budget 2022 included a specialist mental health and addictions services package within which is the delivery of eight community-based alternative crisis services across a mix of small, medium, and large areas of New Zealand. Of the $2.5 million available this year, the estimated spend at 30 June will be $0.825 million. The commencement of the spend has been slightly delayed, but I am advised that five services are due to begin in June 2023.
So far, so good. But check out the follow-up question and Doocey’s answer:
Matt Doocey: So is the Minister saying, on one hand, mental health patients are waiting up to 94 hours in emergency departments and, on the other hand, of the $27.5 million announced for crisis mental health services, less than $1 million of that has been spent, and can the Minister tell the House what the connection between those two is?
Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: Well, it’s not for me to tell the House what that member thinks the connection between those two things is, because, of course, it is not clear that that patient would have been suitable to move to a community setting. However, I am clear that those services were part of a budget that spending for that rolled up over time, and those services are due to start in the coming months.
But hold on. Doocey asked the minister to tell us what she thinks is the connection, not to muse on what he might think.
Now let’s look at the next bit of her non-answer:
However, I am clear that those services were part of a budget that spending for that rolled up over time, and those services are due to start in the coming months.
Anyone care to enlighten us about what that means?
Next question:
Matt Doocey: How will we ever know whether that patient would have qualified for that crisis mental health service, when the Minister has admitted the Government has failed to spend the money promised on that initiative?
Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: I am advised the services will be stood up in June.
The question – as readers can see – was not answered.
Matt Doocey: So how will the service that is going to be stood up in June help a patient that waited for 94 hours in an emergency department, that was described by one health professional as the longest wait time for a mental health patient ever in New Zealand’s emergency department, help that person?
Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: I understand the member’s frustration with that situation and I have also said that it is unacceptable. But that member makes an assumption about the clinical needs of that patient that neither of us are in a position to make.
Point of Order can understand Doocey’s frustration, too.
The Ministry of Health website tells us how much money was appropriated for mental health services:
Budget 2022 provides $100 million over four years to trial new models of specialist mental health and addiction services and increase availability for people with specific needs in targeted areas across the country. The package includes:
- $27.5 million for community-based crisis services that will deliver a variety of intensive supports such as residential and home-based crisis respite, community crisis teams, co-response teams, and peer-led services in the community and as part of care teams.
- $18.7 million to enhance existing specialist child and adolescent mental health and addiction services so that around 1,300 young people can be supported by more clinical, peer support and cultural support staff
- $10 million for workforce development to build the capability and capacity of the specialist services workforce.
Budget 2022 also provides $89.340 million over four years to continue providing mental wellbeing support to primary and intermediate school-aged students through the Mana Ake initiative, and to expand delivery to Northland, Counties Manukau, Bay of Plenty, Lakes and the West Coast.
Mana Ake provides support to schools, families and whānau when children aged 5-12 are experiencing issues that affect their mental wellbeing. The investment through Budget 2022 will benefit approximately 195,000 primary and intermediate aged children by giving them the skills and support to deal with issues that include grief, loss, parental separation, and bullying. Mana Ake also provides advice, guidance and workshops for parents, whānau and teachers.
In addition, Budget 2022 provides $12.250 million over four years for the continuation of the Piki pilot, which provides free integrated primary mental health and addiction support for young people aged 18–25 years in the Greater Wellington area.
Piki enables young people to access mental wellbeing supports earlier to address mild to moderate mental health needs and to promote positive mental wellbeing, which helps reduce mental distress and improve mental health and learning outcomes in the short to medium-term, and is expected to reduce the demand for specialist mental health services in the long-term.
There’s a rich vein there for more questions about how the millions are being spent. Or not spent.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
2 comments:
Obviously uses the same spin team as Ardern, Tinetti, Anderson et al. Make alot of noise but say nothing.
Verrall and Tinetti, in particular are simply bureaucrats turned ministers and are a (large) part of the problem and, it seems, incapable of finding solutions.
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