❓ A WA parliamentary question examines the allocation of a $45.7 million budget increase for mental health services in 2014-2015, focusing on community health services and the impact of efficiency dividends. The answer clarifies funding sources and provides a breakdown of expenditure.
AnsweredQoN 3836Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the 2014-2015 State Budget for mental health, which received a 6.1 per cent or
$45.7 million boost from the previous financial year, and the proportion of service
funding directly to publicly funded community mental health services was 42.8 per cent
in 2014-15 down from 43.2 per cent in 2013-14, and I ask: (a) what proportion of the additional $45.7 million funding was directed to
community health services; (b) why has the rate of funding to community mental health services
decreased from the previous year; (c) what is the breakdown of expenditure in the $45.7 million; and (d) after accounting for the efficiency dividend, what was the net value of
the budgetary increase to mental health services in 2014-2015?
$45.7 million boost from the previous financial year, and the proportion of service
funding directly to publicly funded community mental health services was 42.8 per cent
in 2014-15 down from 43.2 per cent in 2013-14, and I ask: (a) what proportion of the additional $45.7 million funding was directed to
community health services; (b) why has the rate of funding to community mental health services
decreased from the previous year; (c) what is the breakdown of expenditure in the $45.7 million; and (d) after accounting for the efficiency dividend, what was the net value of
the budgetary increase to mental health services in 2014-2015?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
10 May 2016
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health
Response time
76 days
(a) The $45.7 million quoted in the question was taken from the 2014/15 State Budget papers for the Mental Health Commission (MHC), and is inclusive of funding for the Drug and Alcohol Office (DAO). However, the proportion of service funding for community mental health services is taken from the MHC’s 2014/2015 Annual Report which does not include services which were funded through the DAO.
The 2014/15 State Budget for Mental Health indicates that there was a $42.6 million increase from 2013/14. Publicly funded community health service services received an increase in funding of $19.6 million from 2013/14 to 2014/15 which represents 46% of the total $42.6 million increase.
(b) The total budget for the MHC increased by 7.8% from 2013/2014 to 2014/2015. As part of this overall increase, funding provided to community mental health services delivered by the Department of Health increased by 6.9%. The difference between these funding increases appears as a slight lowering of the proportional funding to community mental health services.
(c) Breakdown of the expenditure of the $45.7 million excluding the DAO component of $3.2m is mainly comprised of the following:
$52.4m
increase in Hospital services purchased from the Department of Health (net of efficiency dividends).
($2.5m)
decrease in capital grants to the Department of Housing for the Broome Sub Acute facility
($0.6m)
decrease in grants for Mobile Clinical Outreach Team
($8.5m)
decrease in National Partnership Agreement -Improving Public Hospitals- Commonwealth funding for Rockingham Psychogeriatric and other service delivery contract payments
$1.5m
increase in Closing the Gap program – Statewide Specialist Aboriginal Mental Health Services contract payments
$1.2m
increase in Suicide Prevention contract payments
$0.8m
Increased expenditure on services purchased from Non-Government Organisations including Sustainable funding increase to support Not for Profit service providers in regional and remote areas, offset by efficiency dividends
($1.7m)
Other savings including decreases in consultancy expenses and corrective measures
$42.6m
(d) After accounting for the efficiency dividend, the net value of the budgetary increase to mental health services in 2014/2015 is $42.6 million as per the 2014-15 Published Budget Papers excluding the DAO.
The 2014/15 State Budget for Mental Health indicates that there was a $42.6 million increase from 2013/14. Publicly funded community health service services received an increase in funding of $19.6 million from 2013/14 to 2014/15 which represents 46% of the total $42.6 million increase.
(b) The total budget for the MHC increased by 7.8% from 2013/2014 to 2014/2015. As part of this overall increase, funding provided to community mental health services delivered by the Department of Health increased by 6.9%. The difference between these funding increases appears as a slight lowering of the proportional funding to community mental health services.
(c) Breakdown of the expenditure of the $45.7 million excluding the DAO component of $3.2m is mainly comprised of the following:
$52.4m
increase in Hospital services purchased from the Department of Health (net of efficiency dividends).
($2.5m)
decrease in capital grants to the Department of Housing for the Broome Sub Acute facility
($0.6m)
decrease in grants for Mobile Clinical Outreach Team
($8.5m)
decrease in National Partnership Agreement -Improving Public Hospitals- Commonwealth funding for Rockingham Psychogeriatric and other service delivery contract payments
$1.5m
increase in Closing the Gap program – Statewide Specialist Aboriginal Mental Health Services contract payments
$1.2m
increase in Suicide Prevention contract payments
$0.8m
Increased expenditure on services purchased from Non-Government Organisations including Sustainable funding increase to support Not for Profit service providers in regional and remote areas, offset by efficiency dividends
($1.7m)
Other savings including decreases in consultancy expenses and corrective measures
$42.6m
(d) After accounting for the efficiency dividend, the net value of the budgetary increase to mental health services in 2014/2015 is $42.6 million as per the 2014-15 Published Budget Papers excluding the DAO.
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