Sent to all District Health Board Chief Executives on the 7th of July, the Ministry describes increased funding for mental health providers struggling to retain their staff after the pay equity settlement as "unlawful".
A Ministry of Health letter warns DHBs against paying mental health workers more. Photo: SUPPLIED
Since the pay equity settlement saw increases for workers in aged and residential support care, but not for workers in mental health support, the mental health sector has been losing exisiting workers and struggling to attract new ones.
One DHB told Checkpoint there's an impending catastrophe in the mental health sector, if workers can't be retained.
