[Greens-Media] Greens push govt to honour promise on Illawarra emergency mental health care

[Lee Rhiannon]

MEDIA RELEASE
10 October 2008


Greens push govt to honour promise on Illawarra emergency mental health care 

NSW Health is mismanaging people with mental health problems in the Illawarra because of the NSW government's failure to spend money allocated for local mental health emergency services, Greens MP and health spokesperson Lee Rhiannon said today.

Speaking after meeting in Wollongong with the Illawarra Mental Health Action Coalition Ms Rhiannon said she would address the government's failure at next week's Budget Estimate Hearings when she can directly question Premier Nathan Rees and Minister for the Illawarra David Campbell. 

"The Wollongong Hospital by now should be providing 24 hour community based emergency mental health care as the money was provided in this year's budget," Ms Rhiannon said.

"In May the former premier Morris Iemma announced $6.85 million would be allocated to different regions, including the Illawarra, for around-the-clock mental health response teams. 

"This would be an excellent program if the government would implement their own promise. The emergency response project has been designed to assess and treat people with acute mental health difficulties in the community at any time of the day or night.

"I was very impressed by the work of the Illawarra Mental Health Action Coalition and they should receive more cooperation from the South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Area Health Service. 

"The Coalition has been working hard to ascertain when the money ear marked for this project will be spent but they are being stone walled. 

"Emergency mental health units used to operate in the Illawarra. Since they were dropped police attend mental health incidents. 

"Mental health clients at the Wollongong meeting told me of their concerns with police officers attending instead of trained health professionals. The police are not trained for this work and their presence can add to the agitation mental health clients are experiencing. 

"I will take up the government's failure to deliver on their own promise directly with Mr Rees and Mr Campbell. 

"Mr Campbell as the Minister for the Illawarra should be working on a speedy resolution of this matter so the mental health emergency teams can start operating," Ms Rhiannon said.

For more information: 9230 3551, 0427 861 568