Mental Health funds slashed by more than $20 million   
       
Community and Public Mental Health programmes have had their funding cut by more than $20 million, Labour Health spokesperson Ruth Dyson says.

“Budget papers released last week revealed a $4 million cut to mental health training, $4.2 to Like Minds-Like Mine and $5 million to mental health research.

“A further $6 million in health promotion around mental health issues was cut, $1 million in alcohol and drugs programmes, $200,000 in mental health advice, $1.2 million to not apply the future funding track for anticipated demographic rises; all these cuts totalling $21.6 million,” Ruth Dyson said.

“This comes on top of cuts of $4.2 million last year to Mental Health Blueprint funding and does not include the $600,000 cut in mental health funding at Nelson Marlborough DHB, or the partial closure of Ashburn Hall and the loss of 10 staff and their 5 eating disorder treatment beds.

“Money simply should not be removed from community or public mental health services.

“The Budget documents released last week show that the National Government does not view community or public health initiatives as a priority.

“It’s fairly obvious that cuts in these programmes are being used to fund the new $6 million in set-up costs for the National Health Board and the more than $40 million needed over the next four years to pay for patients dumped by ACC onto public hospital services.

“Health Minister Tony Ryall can claim all he wants that cuts to programmes like mental health training are going back into frontline services, or there is some kind of health ‘switch’, but it simply isn’t true and the public knows that.

“Under National there have been more than 80 cuts to patient services, and budget documents reveal that the number of cuts will continue to increase.

“It's clear that the National Government doesn’t value community or public health initiatives and the health of New Zealanders will suffer as a result,” Ruth Dyson said.

ENDS

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