Dr Jonathan Coleman MP
National Party Associate Health Spokesman

13 April 2007

What about the rest of the mental health system?

The Labour Government must ensure it does not resource adult and forensic mental health services at the expense of services for children and older people, says National's Associate Health Spokesman Dr Jonathan Coleman. Dr Coleman is commenting after the release of the Ministry of Health report, the Census of Forensic Mental Health Services.

"Though the National Party recognises the need for increasing forensic services, this is not the only area within mental health that needs attention.

"The most current Ministry of Health Annual Report shows that funding for children, older people and specialist services is falling well behind the Ministry's Blueprint funding goals.

"This means there is a lot of ground to make up in resourcing of mental health services in these categories, especially when in 2005 DHBs underspent approximately $18 million that had been ring-fenced for mental health.

"National would free up this money and allow DHBs to direct these funds to areas of the mental health sector that urgently need them."

ENDS

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