Media Releases

The Mental Health Council of Australia has welcomed Prime Minister Rudd’s commitment to reform mental health, including accepting greater responsibility for community mental health, but is disappointed that the Commonwealth did not go further. According to David Crosbie, MHCA CEO , “the measures outlined by the Prime Minister today are good first steps, but mental health reform clearly remains unfinished business.”

Health Minister Roxon’s announcement that the Commonwealth plans to take a more active role in community mental health is welcomed by the Mental Health Council of Australia. “The Minister has highlighted how the current system leads to people with a mental health disorder presenting to hospital in situations when better community mental health could have made a difference. These statements suggest the Minister understands what is actually happening to mental health consumers and their carers”, said David Crosbie, MHCA CEO .

A group of leading national prevention and community health organisations led by the Australian of the Year, Professor Patrick McGorry, is calling on the Prime Minister, premiers and chief ministers to include fundamental principles on prevention, mental and Indigenous health at next week’s Council of Australian Governments meeting. “Unless we see reforms in these areas we will not reduce Australia’s dependence on hospital based care”, Professor McGorry said.

The Mental Health Council of Australia has written to the state premiers urging them to include mental health in any negotiated health reform plan with the Commonwealth. “In recent weeks there has been a great deal of discussion about health reform, but precious little discussion about mental health reform”, said MHCA CEO David Crosbie.