Christmas Bomb from CHDB for psychiatric patients

Christmas Bomb from CHDB for psychiatric patients

The gift addressed and delivered this week to staff and users of the Work Assessment and Rehabilitation services by the CDHB was that their service would close and a provider would be found to deliver a similar service.

“The news to contract out this service is unsettling and concerning to the consumers their families and of course to the staff who have had their positions disestablished. It is disappointing that the CDHB decided to announce this significant change right on Christmas which is already a stressful and difficult time especially for this group” says Paul Shennan NUPE Convenyor.

The Work Rehabilitation Service is part of the specialist mental health service contracted to provide specialist interventions, such as assessments, treatment comprehensive discharge planning, consultation and liaison to the continuum of health care. “The DHB has decided that the work assessment and rehabilitation service no longer fits into its core business and that a private provider should deliver this. The problem with this is that this group are at the high and complex end and it is not even known whether a private provider exists that will have the ability, expertise or will be funded sufficiently to deliver such a service.” says Paul Shennan “It does seem premature to announce this closure when a competent provider may not even exist.”

The service is currently run by health professionals employed by the DHB, around 20 positions will disappear as a result of this change. These staff are trained to observe and deliver a quality service to this vulnerable group. Presently some similar services are provided by NGO’s (non governmental organisations) to those less chronic and complex as this group. The consumers of this service are usually too difficult for the private providers often with limited expertise, to manage or cope with.

While the DHB is currently assuring worried families that a service will continue what is clear is that the DHB has decided this is no longer their responsibility. This is a concerning trend as we see services to the elderly across Canterbury also reduced dramatically. The elderly and the psychiatrically unwell are our most vulnerable increasingly they are finding access to quality care and support almost impossible.

Cutting services to these groups is extremely short sighted, the elderly and unwell will become increasingly isolated. The DHB will have these same people arriving at the emergency department acutely unwell, other services such as police will be more involved and the DHB will loose significant skills and experience as they reduce services.

ENDS

© Scoop Media