The Lakes District Health Board has increased mental health spending in 2021 to a little over $40m. Photo / Getty
The Lakes District Health Board spent more than $40 million on mental health services in one year - $3m more than the year before.
It comes as a mental health expert says he's seen a high demand for services over the past few years.
According to figures released through the Official Information Act, the board spent $40.401m on mental health services in the year ending June 2021. The spend from the previous year was $37.215m.
The delayed $31m rebuild of Rotorua Hospital's in-patient unit has used $1.03m of its funding.
Mental health community services received the largest share of funding, with close to $9m spent.
Other large spending in 2021 was allocated to "Dual Diagnosis Alcohol and Drugs" at $3.435m. Child and youth mental health services cost the board $6.441m this year.
Spending on acute mental health inpatients also rose slightly in 2021, up to $3.686m from $3.562m the previous year.
Lakes District Health Board chief executive Nick Saville-Wood said the funds covered all infrastructure, staffing and operational costs.
"They reflect that we do have high mental health support needs in our rohe due to a number of factors, not least being our social deprivation status."
Saville-Wood said more funding was required and that the board appreciated the acknowledgement of the Government.
"Resourcing is a major concern. We have a number of vacancies and attracting specialist and nursing resources into mental health has been problematic to date."
Rotorua-based mental health advocate Michael Naera said he had seen a high demand for mental health services in the last few years.
"I know that Covid-19 has contributed to the rise in whānau seeking mental health services.
"I also know through frontline clinicians that they are struggling with the demand at the moment and that is not only for those who are suffering from severe mental distress but also from everyday anxiety and depression."
Naera said accessing acute mental health services could sometimes be like going through a "bottleneck system" which filtered for severe mental distress. Those who do not meet the criteria are then referred back to community services.
"My concern is there is a second pandemic happening, a mental health crisis."
"Some people may call me alarmist but I know this from speaking to frontline workers and to whanau. They are struggling."
In statements released under the Official Information Act, the board said its priorities were the maintenance of current levels of service delivery in the face of workforce challenges.
Another of the board's priorities was to continue to work together with its partners to "improve equity health gains".
The board also wants to prioritise growth of Te Ara Tauwhirotanga, its new model of care which according to the board's website echoes "the aspirations of the community that services and systems are designed to 'act with kindness.'"
Over the next year, the board's focuses include growing the Wellbeing in Schools Programme.
When asked how Covid-19 had affected mental health service demand in the last two years, the board's response said:
"We do not have any concrete data that we can emphatically link to the impacts of
Covid and any evidence and observation is anecdotal."
Meanwhile, the delayed rebuild of Rotorua Hospital's "archaic" mental health in-patient unit Whare Whakaue has already cost the board $1.03m.
The project has $31m in funding but is not expected to be shovel-ready for another year.
Of that funding, $25m is from the Government, with the remaining $6m funded by the board.
In the 2019 Budget, the Government announced a record $1.9 billion total Mental Health package, which included $200 million extra funding for new and existing mental health and addiction facilities.
In their funding announcement, the Government quoted an estimate that in 2014 the economic cost of serious mental illness alone was $12 billion, or five per cent of New Zealand's Gross Domestic Product.
Rotorua MP Todd McClay said he was not at all surprised by the increase in spending.
"It's a small amount compared to the need for mental health services in the community."
McClay said his office was "overrun" with people, particularly parents, who were having difficulty accessing the services they needed to deal with mental health challenges.
"The Government needs to focus less on the amount spent and more on the delivery of service.
"We have a growing mental health challenge in the Lakes District Health Board area. Year on year it is becoming worse, and we need to make sure parents know that they don't face these struggles with teenagers alone, that the Government will be there to help them."
McClay said it was disappointing that only $1m had been spent on the Whare Whakaue rebuild so far.
"People are not treated by ministerial announcements. We need that mental health facility urgently."
In a new report from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, committee chair Hayden Wano called on the Government "to seize the opportunity presented by Covid-19 to accelerate investment in lifting the wellbeing of our communities."
"Lifting wellbeing requires more than a good health response," Wano wrote.
"It requires a shift in public policy that reflects what wellbeing really means for communities in Aotearoa."
Among the recommendations of the commission's report was to "advocate for action on the social and systemic factors that improve wellbeing as well as mental health and addiction services for those in need."
Minister of Health Andrew Little acknowledged the system's failings, saying: "We have more to do to bring our mental health services up to an acceptable level everywhere, but we have made a good start in addressing the longstanding neglect of the system."
Little said the four- to five-year Access and Choice programme (with the four streams; Integrated Primary Mental Health and Addiction, kaupapa Māori, Pacific and youth) had already provided almost 235,000 sessions since the programme began and support to more than 14,000 people in October alone.
"These new services are available and free to anyone and are already making a difference.
"When the Labour government took office at the end of 2017 the mental health system had been neglected for many years and was in crisis.
"A review commissioned by the Government reported at the end of 2018 and made recommendations to address the state of the mental health system.
"As a consequence of the review, this government has added about 800 full-time equivalent frontline health roles across the Access and Choice programme (as of October 31, 2021) covering a population of around 1.9-million people.This programme will take another two years to complete.
"In addition to adding more people to our mental health workforce we have invested $477 million for 16 building projects to upgrade or rebuild mental health facilities.
"We will continue to build on this progress and maintain momentum into 2022, as we transition to a reformed health system. Next year will see continued expansion of new services.
"The aim of the health reforms is to ensure equity and reduce the postcode lottery that exists between DHBs."
• Mental Health Community Services - $8,971,000
• Child & Youth Mental Health Services - $6,441,000
• Acute Mental Health Inpatients - $3,686,000
• Community Residential Beds & Services - $3,588,000
• Dual Diagnosis Alcohol & Drugs - $3,435,000
• Minor Mental Health Expenditure $3,101,000
• MH Funded Serv Older People - $2,644,000
• Kaupapa Maori Mental Health Services (Community) - $1,187,000
• Other Home-based Residential Support - $1,661,000
• Advocacy/Peer Support - Consumer - $1,082,000
• Crisis Respite - $976,000
• IDF Mental Health (Own DHB Population) - $758,000
• Maternal Mental Health - $649,000
• Alcohol & Other Drugs C&Y Specific - $335,000
• Methadone - $314,000
• Other Mental Health - $255,000
• Alcohol & Other Drugs (General) - $58,000
• Mental Health Workforce Development - $42,000
• Eating Disorder - $27,000
• Advocacy/Peer Support – Families and Whanau - $49,000
Source: Lakes District Health Board
Where to get help:
• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 (available 24/7)
• Kidsline: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)
• Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (12pm to 11pm)
• Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
• Anxiety helpline: 0800 269 4389 (0800 ANXIETY) (available 24/7)
• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
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