Health Minister Andrew Little has labelled Opposition demands for an investigation into Labour's $1.9 billion Access and Choice programme on mental health a "political stunt".
National's mental health spokesperson Matt Doocey wrote to the Auditor-General requesting the inquiry into why the cash injection into the mental health sector "has not resulted in any material improvements in mental health outcomes".
The demand follows the release of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission released last month, which showed no improvement in access to specialist mental health services in the past five years.
READ MORE: Mental health advocate: 'Not much' improvement despite $1.9b
But Little said that the workings of the $1.9b Access and Choice programme was already under heavy review.
“It's not needed and the request for that is a political stunt," he said.
"The $1.9 billion investment program has been the subject of reviews by the department of Prime Minister and Cabinet implementation unit, as well as the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission."
"And because it's now into its roughly third year, the Auditor General has been reviewing what the DHBs have been doing and what the ministry has been doing in this respect.”
“There is nothing to gain from any other investigation."
Little said the Labour programme is the single biggest investment in mental health in New Zealand’s history, but acknowledged access to specialist services "would take time to ramp up" after years of neglect under previous governments.
"We’re building a whole new mental health system.
"In 2019 we funded a four-year program of change. With Covid, we're effectively two and a half years into it.
"We now have roughly 900 full-time equivalent roles in place, in GP clinics, located within Māori Health providers, with Pacific Health Services, and in youth health services.
"But recruiting people into those roles was always going to be a challenge."
But he said the programme has made progress providing mental health services aimed at early intervention.
“These Access and Choice services were not included in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission’s most recent report as it was covered in a prior and separate report."
“First up we’ve made it easier to get help early, so small issues don’t become big problems.
“We’ve put mental health help at local doctors and schools around the country, as well as universities, online, on the phone, and through smart apps.
"Just over two years in, as at January 2022, our Access and Choice services have delivered 323,000 sessions, created more than 850FTEs in GP clinics, and provided services to more than 17,500 people that month alone."
"These services are targeted at people with mild to moderate mental health and addiction concerns and are easily accessible with minimal or no wait times. They are free to access and available to anyone of any age and do not require a referral.
CEO Shaun Robinson says the Government's $1.9 billion allocation isn't enough. (Source: Breakfast)
But Mental Health Foundation CEO Shaun Robertson on Wednesday told Breakfast the pace of change is still too slow.
"It's been three years since those commitments were made and there's been too many dropped balls."
"That $1.9 billion sounds like a lot of money but it was never ever enough.
"In fact, it was only about half of what was needed to make up the lack of funding from the previous ten years."
"We are starting to get some traction now... but a lot of time has been wasted."
The Commission report revealed the number of Maori and Pasifika receiving compulsory treatment and solitary confinement has increased in recent years.
A sign, says Robertson, of a mental health sector that is still "massively under pressure".
"But really you can't just throw money at services and expect it to grow new staff.
"This is a situation that has emerged over decades, and decades, and decades."
"It takes time to train staff, it takes time to set up new services, we're talking years."
Robertson said there's concern that any momentum to transform the mental health sector will get lost in Labour's wider overhaul of the national health system.
"Transforming the mental health sector is like changing the tires on a mac truck while it's speeding down the highway at 120 km."
"The health reforms are like they're rebuilding the highway at the same time."
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