❓ Ms. Mettam questions the Minister for Health about mental health investment relative to demand. The Minister defends the government's record investment and highlights new facilities, while acknowledging unprecedented demand.
AnsweredQoN 189Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MENTAL HEALTH — EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT PRESENTATIONS
189. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I
have a supplementary question. Given this anecdotal increase in demand, why is
the state investment in community mental health below the national
average?
189. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I
have a supplementary question. Given this anecdotal increase in demand, why is
the state investment in community mental health below the national
average?
AnswerView source ↗
Member,
we now spend over a billion dollars in mental health in Western Australia. It
is a record investment and the highest of any government in Western Australia's
history. We will continue to make sure that we have that record level of
investment. The member would have seen, perhaps through the prism, or the lens,
of jealousy, the great election commitments we made in the last election
campaign, which will continue to see growth in that investment. Community
mental health continues to be an important part of what we do. The member would
have seen the great development of step-up, step-down facilities across Western
Australia, whether that is in Bunbury, Albany or Kalgoorlie—we opened
that one earlier this year. We have also opened one in Geraldton and we are
developing one in Karratha and one in Broome. We also have an election
commitment for a new step-up, step-down facility in Port Hedland. We are continuing to make these investments, but we are
being impacted by a very high number of incidences of mental health
presentations. This is the advice I have received from the department. We will
continue to make sure that we support the department as it deals with this
unprecedented level of demand.
The SPEAKER : That concludes question time.
we now spend over a billion dollars in mental health in Western Australia. It
is a record investment and the highest of any government in Western Australia's
history. We will continue to make sure that we have that record level of
investment. The member would have seen, perhaps through the prism, or the lens,
of jealousy, the great election commitments we made in the last election
campaign, which will continue to see growth in that investment. Community
mental health continues to be an important part of what we do. The member would
have seen the great development of step-up, step-down facilities across Western
Australia, whether that is in Bunbury, Albany or Kalgoorlie—we opened
that one earlier this year. We have also opened one in Geraldton and we are
developing one in Karratha and one in Broome. We also have an election
commitment for a new step-up, step-down facility in Port Hedland. We are continuing to make these investments, but we are
being impacted by a very high number of incidences of mental health
presentations. This is the advice I have received from the department. We will
continue to make sure that we support the department as it deals with this
unprecedented level of demand.
The SPEAKER : That concludes question time.
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