Health: Community services push for bigger share of mental health funds

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Community organisations are imploring the Government to send the new spending on mental health their way.

The Prime Minister has promised more cash for the sector in the wake of the damning People’s Mental Health Review.

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Community providers network Platform Trust says it must go where it’s needed, instead of being gobbled up by District Health Boards.

CEO Marion Blake said over the past five or six years, less and less cash has been going into community services.

Community organisations are imploring the Government to send the new spending on mental health their way. (iStock)

“And that’s where people recover. They recover in the community.

People need acute services when they’re unwell.

Absolutely but their ongoing support and helping people stay of out of acute services is what community organisations do.”

The Trust says DHBs have been intentionally holding staff vacancies in public services and they’re then using the money to prop up other areas of health and their bottom line.

Ms Blake said the current funding system is grossly inefficient.

 

 

“It’s very old and it needs reviewing. We need to make sure that the money gets from the government to the people who can provide the services, and those services get to people as quick as possible.”

-NewstalkZB

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