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: Can he confirm that 19 months since the Government announced $16.3 million to help 100 people transition from mental health in-patient units to community housing only three people have been helped at a cost of $1.8 million and that monthly bed occupancy for mental health in-patient facilities across New Zealand has increased from 80.21 percent in May 2020 to 91.42 percent in May 2021?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Health): In response to the first part of the member's question he is incorrect. The Ministry of Health is responsible for $10.9 million of the total $16.3 million allocated to support people with complex mental health and addiction needs to transition into the community. The allocated funding varies over each financial year but for the year ending 30 June 2021 $1.8 million was planned to be spent. I can confirm that any unspent funding allocated for this initiative will be rolled over to the current financial year. The reality is that due to COVID-19 and multiple lockdowns across Aotearoa New Zealand in 2020 this programme was significantly delayed and it's anticipated that the majority of funding allocated for the first year will be rolled over. In response to the second part of the member's question yes.Matt Doocey: What recent actions has the Minister taken in response to May's mental health in-patient facility occupancy rates where only three DHBs out of 20 reported operating below the 85 percent occupancy required for patient safety?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The Ministry of Health has a task force of senior clinicians set up to support DHBs who are experiencing extraordinary pressure of demand from patients not just through things like emergency departments but in mental health facilities as well and they are assisting those DHBs with the management of the workload pressures that they've got to make sure that patients can get access to help and are treated in a safe way.Matt Doocey: Does the Minister think that after 19 months supporting just three mental health patients as answered in written parliamentary questions (WPQs) out of a target of 100 is acceptable and if not what actions has he taken to address this lack of delivery?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: What I think is a good starting point is to accept that there has been a global pandemic that has affected New Zealand. That resulted following the announcement in February 2020 in a four-week lockdown nationwide multiple lockdowns particularly in Auckland on a number of occasions following that. That has as I said in the answer to the primary question significantly delayed the roll out of this project. Now I know that on Planet National" you can sort of magic up things and things sort of work as if pandemics don't have an effect but they do have an effect. This Government has made the investment in mental health that was long overdue because we are serious about rising to the mental health challenge of this country. Our clinical leaders and officials in the Ministry of Health have a programme to assist DHBs to manage mental health patients in a more effective way to encourage more community treatment where that is possible to free up more spaces in the acute facilities and as part of the programme as well to upgrade those acute facilities so there is more room to meet demand.Matt Doocey: Can the Minister explain what the $1.8 million spent as answered to my WPQ by him to get just three people into community housing in 19 months has actually been spent on?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The member is just plainly incorrect. I refer to the answer to the primary question. The money not spent in the previous financial year—the $1.8 million due to be spent—is being reallocated to the current financial year. So the work that would have been done were it not for multiple lockdowns as a result of COVID-19 is now taking place—in Auckland. There were two areas that were expected to set up these facilities—Auckland and Waikato. In Auckland the work is close to fruition to reach agreements with community providers to achieve what was expected. In the Waikato an agreement is due to take effect from the middle of this month.Matt Doocey: What is his response to reports that there are patients stuck in mental health in-patient facilities operating at clinically unsafe occupancy rates due to his Government's failure to transition them into community housing?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: This Government takes seriously the mental health crisis that was apparent many years ago and to which there was absolutely no response by the previous Government. This Government has stepped up to provide a meaningful response. That included more investment in community care for those who have spent a long time in acute facilities but who can be provided good care and safe care in the community where that is possible. It is a priority for us to get more folks who have spent a long time in acute care into the community. We made that announcement in February 2020 and within a month or so the nation was in lockdown because of COVID-19 and then following that four-week nationwide level 4 lockdown there were multiple more lockdowns and that necessarily has an effect on the ability to pull forward—SPEAKER: Order! I think we have become repetitious."