11. Question No. 11—HealthMATT DOOCEY (National—Waimakariri) to the Minister of HealthQuestion No. 11—Health11. MATT DOOCEY (National—Waimakariri) to the Minister of Health: What is his response to reports in the media from those with experience in the mental health sector who are concerned that progress on transforming the mental health system has stalled? Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Health): My response is that when this Government took office at the end of 2017 it inherited a mental health system that was in an appalling state after nine years of abject neglect from the previous Government. We very quickly assembled a review—effectively a stocktake—of the state of the system. That reported in November 2018 and by May 2019 it had committed the most significant investment over a four-year period ever seen in our mental health system. That was $1.9 billion over the four-year period: $1.1 billion of it was health money and roughly $800 million was money from other departments. The programme of investment commenced on 1 July 2019. As at the end of December 2020 we are 18 months into the programme. The priority has been in the access and choice programme which according to He Ara Oranga the report from November 2019 was focused on the single biggest gap in mental health provision which was those needing mild to moderate care. We've commenced that programme. Of the total programme $350 million is due to be spent by 30 June this year. As at 31 December last year roughly $280 million has been spent and we are on track to make the change as a consequence of that party in Opposition's neglect in Government. Matt Doocey: Why has he still not published a plan for the implementation of recommendations of the mental health inquiry He Ara Oranga given they were published more than two years ago? Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The member I think has answered his own question. The recommendations were published in November 2018. Some of the recommendations have in fact been completed but we embarked on a four-year programme of investment to make change. Many of the recommendations require a number of years to achieve change and so we are making progress we are making a difference. Of the access and choice programme more than 70000 sessions now have been available free to people who have needed them and we are now delivering between 7000 and 8000 sessions a month funded through that programme. It is making a difference. Matt Doocey: Point of order Mr Speaker. If I can just seek your guidance the supplementary question was about why he had not published a plan for the implementation of the recommendations. SPEAKER: And that was addressed in the first sentence. Matt Doocey: What is the Minister's response to Mental Health Foundation CEO Shaun Robinson who said We are disappointed [as] He Ara Oranga was a beacon of hope for a revolution of change for … mental health … but … it seems to have stagnated. There is still no transparent and accountable plan for its implementation." and "This is a wake-up call to the Government … and fulfil its promises."? Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I would say to Mr Robinson what I've just said to that member and that is that the Government embarked from July 2019 on a four-year programme of change because of the state of neglect of the mental health system. We have started that programme and of the $350 million due to be spent and committed by 30 June this year at the end of December $280 million had been spent or committed. There is more to come. Already we are making a difference. To the extent that Mr Robinson is concerned that we haven't completed the four-year programme within 18 months I understand there are people who are in desperate need and they would have been in desperate need some years ago. It is taking time to make the change and to fix the system but we are committed to doing so and we are doing so. Matt Doocey: Why has the Initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission progress report which tracks the Government's progress on mental health not been released despite its being delivered to the Minister in November last year? Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I received that report in December last year. I want my Cabinet colleagues to have a look at it and I expect it will be released very very soon. There is nothing to hide. It is a very constructive report. It grades the Government on the progress of implementation. It is positive in some respects; it is not so positive in others—nothing to hide. This was a report completed less than a year after the commencement of the change programme. Nothing wrong with getting the review nothing wrong with getting the criticism but this is a Government committed to making change and turning around an abjectly appalling state of our mental health system left by the previous Government. Matt Doocey: In the Minister's words "nothing to hide" why has the Mental Health and Addiction Services annual report which reports on what service is available—SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member's named the document. He doesn't need to go any further into it. Matt Doocey: Thank you Mr Speaker. Why has the Mental Health and Addiction Services annual report not been released under his Government since the 2017 Mental Health and Addiction Services annual report? Hon ANDREW LITTLE: As I understand it there have been changes in the reporting methodology of that report. In any event since then we've had the interim report of the Initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission we will very shortly have the final report of the Initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission and we now have in place the permanent Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission. This is a Government committed to turning around an absolutely appalling mental health system left by the previous Government. Matt Doocey: Is he concerned that under his Government progress has stalled progress reports are being withheld and critics who speak out are being gagged and bullied? Hon ANDREW LITTLE: No person has been gagged from speaking out about mental health issues and there is no question that a four-year programme 18 months into implementation is not stalled at all. It is rolling out with considerable vigour and impetus and the stuff that we are doing is making a difference to the people who need it most: vulnerable people who were ignored and left isolated and alone by the actions of the previous Government."