4 Apr 2021

Government failing to tackle mental health crisis - Foundation

4:27 pm on 4 April 2021

The head of the Mental Health Foundation says the government is failing to tackle the crisis facing the sector.

Shaun Robinson

Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

Chief executive Shaun Robinson said a routine report that lists wait times and other performance data was delayed by more than a year, and claimed when it did arrive, it had major omissions.

The Ministry of Health told Stuff the report was late because Covid-19 and a shift to more regular monitoring.

Robinson did not buy it and said he was yet to see progress on the recommendations the government agreed to as a result of the Mental Health Inquiry.

He said with no plan and little data, it was hard to maintain optimism.

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