[Greens-Media] Services that make a difference

[Burmester, Tom]

Amanda Bresnan, MLA
ACT Greens

28 August 09

Services that make a difference

Amanda Bresnan, ACT Greens Health Spokesperson, called for a focus on quality outcomes following the release of the latest national mental health report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) yesterday.

"This report only gives us a part of the picture," Ms Bresnan said today.

"While the report recognises the high number of service contacts in ACT, it also points out that we don't know how many people use those services, or how often they use them."
  
"We don't actually know who the people are, and what happens to them once they use or access a service."
 
"It's about quantity and quality, and the two must go together. We must make sure that the services we are putting in place are benefiting the people they should, and that is mental health consumers and carers." 
 

"That is why, along with increased funding to reflect the level of mental illness in the community, the Greens have called for:
*        the development of outcome measures and quality standards to be used across government and community sector services
*        an annual survey of consumer experiences of care in the mental health system
*        a review of funding structures for a more integrated system," 
Ms Bresnan said. 
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This email, and any attachments, may be confidential and also privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete all copies of this transmission along with any attachments immediately. You should not copy or use it for any purpose, nor disclose its contents to any other person.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------