❓ A parliamentary question regarding potential cuts to mental health services in Western Australia, following a rally and an Auditor General's report highlighting failures in community mental health services. The Minister denies any directive for cuts to frontline services and defends the government's record.
AnsweredQoN 794Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MENTAL HEALTH — STAFF AND SERVICE CUTS
I acknowledge the patients, carers and family members who are in the gallery today after attending the mental health rally. Today at the mental health rally the minister gave a commitment that there would be no cuts in mental health, despite leaked documents to the contrary. This comes at a time when the Auditor General has detailed a litany of failures in the adult community mental health service team, and the Minister for Mental Health has been shouted down by a rally of mental health carers and consumers who he has so frequently claimed are his priority. (1) Does the minister acknowledge that, despite his repeated promise to bring renewed focus to mental health services, he has failed to make mental health a priority? (2) Will he restate in this place the commitment he made to those at the rally today that there will be no cuts? (3) If there is any evidence of cuts, will he take the only honourable course of action and resign as Minister for Mental Health? Dr G.G. JACOBS
I acknowledge the patients, carers and family members who are in the gallery today after attending the mental health rally. Today at the mental health rally the minister gave a commitment that there would be no cuts in mental health, despite leaked documents to the contrary. This comes at a time when the Auditor General has detailed a litany of failures in the adult community mental health service team, and the Minister for Mental Health has been shouted down by a rally of mental health carers and consumers who he has so frequently claimed are his priority. (1) Does the minister acknowledge that, despite his repeated promise to bring renewed focus to mental health services, he has failed to make mental health a priority? (2) Will he restate in this place the commitment he made to those at the rally today that there will be no cuts? (3) If there is any evidence of cuts, will he take the only honourable course of action and resign as Minister for Mental Health? Dr G.G. JACOBS
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) Mr Speaker — Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Today at the mental health rally the minister gave a commitment that there would be no cuts in mental health, despite leaked documents to the contrary. This comes at a time when the Auditor General has detailed a litany of failures in the adult community mental health service team, and the Minister for Mental Health has been shouted down by a rally of mental health carers and consumers who he has so frequently claimed are his priority. (1) Does the minister acknowledge that, despite his repeated promise to bring renewed focus to mental health services, he has failed to make mental health a priority? (2) Will he restate in this place the commitment he made to those at the rally today that there will be no cuts? (3) If there is any evidence of cuts, will he take the only honourable course of action and resign as Minister for Mental Health? Dr G.G. JACOBS replied: (1)-(2) Mr Speaker — Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
(1) Does the minister acknowledge that, despite his repeated promise to bring renewed focus to mental health services, he has failed to make mental health a priority? (2) Will he restate in this place the commitment he made to those at the rally today that there will be no cuts? (3) If there is any evidence of cuts, will he take the only honourable course of action and resign as Minister for Mental Health? Dr G.G. JACOBS replied: (1)-(2) Mr Speaker — Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
(2) Will he restate in this place the commitment he made to those at the rally today that there will be no cuts? (3) If there is any evidence of cuts, will he take the only honourable course of action and resign as Minister for Mental Health? Dr G.G. JACOBS replied: (1)-(2) Mr Speaker — Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
(3) If there is any evidence of cuts, will he take the only honourable course of action and resign as Minister for Mental Health? Dr G.G. JACOBS replied: (1)-(2) Mr Speaker — Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Dr G.G. JACOBS replied: (1)-(2) Mr Speaker — Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
(1)-(2) Mr Speaker — Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
(3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Today at the mental health rally the minister gave a commitment that there would be no cuts in mental health, despite leaked documents to the contrary. This comes at a time when the Auditor General has detailed a litany of failures in the adult community mental health service team, and the Minister for Mental Health has been shouted down by a rally of mental health carers and consumers who he has so frequently claimed are his priority. (1) Does the minister acknowledge that, despite his repeated promise to bring renewed focus to mental health services, he has failed to make mental health a priority? (2) Will he restate in this place the commitment he made to those at the rally today that there will be no cuts? (3) If there is any evidence of cuts, will he take the only honourable course of action and resign as Minister for Mental Health? Dr G.G. JACOBS replied: (1)-(2) Mr Speaker — Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
(1) Does the minister acknowledge that, despite his repeated promise to bring renewed focus to mental health services, he has failed to make mental health a priority? (2) Will he restate in this place the commitment he made to those at the rally today that there will be no cuts? (3) If there is any evidence of cuts, will he take the only honourable course of action and resign as Minister for Mental Health? Dr G.G. JACOBS replied: (1)-(2) Mr Speaker — Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
(2) Will he restate in this place the commitment he made to those at the rally today that there will be no cuts? (3) If there is any evidence of cuts, will he take the only honourable course of action and resign as Minister for Mental Health? Dr G.G. JACOBS replied: (1)-(2) Mr Speaker — Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
(3) If there is any evidence of cuts, will he take the only honourable course of action and resign as Minister for Mental Health? Dr G.G. JACOBS replied: (1)-(2) Mr Speaker — Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Dr G.G. JACOBS replied: (1)-(2) Mr Speaker — Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
(1)-(2) Mr Speaker — Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Mr E.S. Ripper : Did you tell them the truth at the rally? The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Dr G.G. JACOBS : I seem to have a sense of deja vu of a similar question asked by the member yesterday. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Will we have a similar non-answer today? The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Dr G.G. JACOBS : If they were listening at that time, they would have heard me make a commitment that there has been no directive from me, the director general or any manager of area health services that there will be any cuts in clinical front-line mental health services in Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
The SPEAKER : Order, Leader of the Opposition! Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Dr G.G. JACOBS : As I said yesterday, we are faced with some tougher times, and we all recognise that. With reference to the Auditor General’s report that was released today about community adult mental health teams in community services, over the past five years there has been an increase in funding of 45 per cent. However, despite that, there have been deficiencies in care planning and discharge planning. By that I mean 20 per cent of people under acute care who had been treated and went back into the community did not have a discharge care plan. Despite the increased spend in money, there was not an increase in the service or the efficiencies in how that delivered services for people with mental illness. As I have said in this place before, how we prevent people from going into hospital, what we do when they leave hospital and how we support them in the community is the main game. The Auditor General’s report of the 39 adult community mental health centres and services in Western Australia reflects that they did a good job. That man there, the member for Kwinana, keeps on whipping up concerns among vulnerable people in the community to whom I spoke. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
The SPEAKER : Order! Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Dr G.G. JACOBS : After I had addressed the people on the steps of Parliament House today at 12 o’clock, I talked to people at the rally and some concerns were expressed by people about how and what services would be cut. They were concerns generally whipped up by the member for Kwinana, who now has a history of being unreliable because he picks on internal memos that refer to cuts. I will tell members what we have committed to. As the Auditor General said in his report, we are committed to making a system that works better. If there are inefficiencies in that system, we will do better, and if there are duplications in that system, we will do better. I spoke to two social workers this morning at the Bentley child and adolescent mental health service, and they were concerned about whether a position occupied by someone who went on leave would be back-filled. I have followed that up, and will continue to follow that up. It indicates, I hope, to the opposition, which obviously will not recognise it because its members just want to scaremonger with half the story and scare poor vulnerable people at a rally such as they held, that this government has made a commitment — Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
The SPEAKER : Order, member for Girrawheen! Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
Dr G.G. JACOBS : — to true reform in mental health. We have a strategy and those things we heard about from the Auditor General will be taken on board in that strategy for how we do things better and become efficient in delivering services for people with a mental illness. (3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
(3) No, I will not resign because what did members opposite do for mental health when they were over here? Nothing.
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