This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The health minister, Sussan Ley, will press for a coordinated national approach to mental health in what she describes as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity for serious reform”.

Ley released the findings of a review of mental health services on Thursday, parts of which had been leaked to the ABC on Tuesday.

The government wants to collaborate with the states and territories on delivering mental illness prevention and treatment services, and will push for consensus at Friday’s Council of Australian Government (Coag) meeting.

“A consultative and collaborative approach is essential to achieving this and I intend to seek bipartisan agreement to revive a national approach to mental health,” Ley said.

The mental health charity Sane has backed the call for bipartisanship.

“All levels of government need to get on with the job of creating a mental health system that provides the appropriate supports and services to people when and where they need it. To do this we need determined leadership at a national level, backed by strong support across all political parties,” its chief executive, Jack Heath, said.

Part of the national approach is the formation of a new expert reference group. The panel will focus on suicide prevention, promoting good mental health, prevention and early intervention, and the role of primary care services.



“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for serious reform in mental health in Australia for the long term,” Ley said.

She said better targeting of services, particularly in early detection and intervention of mental illness, would save states and territories money that could otherwise be spent on inpatient care.

But Ley ruled out a recommendation in the report to redirect funds.

“The government does not intend to pursue the proposed $1bn shift of funding from state acute care to community organisations,” Ley said.

The minister would not be drawn on which of the other recommendations the government would support or reject.

Labor warned that cutting funding to healthcare would adversely affect people with mental illness who required treatment in hospital.

“We support the need for better resourcing and structuring of community-based mental health services and a focus on primary care as the frontline in tackling mental illness,” Labor’s spokeswoman on mental health, Jan McLucas, said. “Labor has always supported a strong system of primary healthcare – including mental healthcare – as the best means of keeping people out of hospital.”

Earlier this month the government confirmed it would extend funding for mental health services by a further 12 months, after intense lobbying from the sector.

