Judith Collins

National Associate Health Spokesperson

17 July 2003

Mental health patients still falling through the gaps

National says the Health Minister must assure New Zealanders that their mental health services are safe after the death of a Southland mental health patient left alone in a room at Southland Hospital.

"The mental health services at Southland Hospital were investigated after the case of mental health patient Mark Burton, and the public was given assurances that changes had been made to ensure at risk patients like this would not fall through the gaps again," says National Associate Health Spokesperson Judith Collins.

"The public needs an assurance that people are not going to continue to be let down by the mental health system, and left at risk without care. "National has been calling for a review of all mental health services since the Mark Burton case so that we can find out if they are up to standard throughout the country.

"The Minister has ignored this call. This latest case show she can't afford to keep doing that," Ms Collins said.

ENDS

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