Scott Lynda: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Scott Lynda: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:609;Page:6474] 
7.  
Dr LYNDA SCOTT (NZ National—Kaikoura) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Why are mentally ill patients still being held in police cells for more than 6 hours and treated like prisoners not patients when her department issued a directive that patients must not be detained in police cells for longer than 6 hours 6 months ago? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
: 
 It is permissible to hold people in police cells for up to 6 hours to allow assessment. What is unacceptable is people being held longer. I am advised that the Waitemata District Health Board has reduced considerably the number being held longer than that. The police decision has seen that practice stopped altogether. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: Why has nothing been done to avert this crisis caused by a bed shortage that mental health nurses believe will see potentially dangerous patients discharged too soon due to lack of beds staff and resources and will she take responsibility if any member of the public is harmed; if not why not? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The member is incorrect to say that nothing has been done. This House will recall that in December last year I brought forward $2.8 million of funding to be spent to ensure there were packages of care in Auckland. I also brought forward $10 million of extra funding for Auckland District Health Board to increase the number of facilities it has for the whole of the Auckland area. 
Pita Paraone 
: Given that mental health patients are being held in prison cells contrary to the directive of her ministry are the actions of the district health boards symptomatic of a lack of beds an insufficient number of trained staff or a lack of an adequate monitoring process by the ministry? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: It is a fact of history particularly in relation to Waitemata District Health Board that mental health patients have been held in police cells. In fact it is the only district health board in New Zealand to do that. It is due to a combination of factors including staff and including resources—something I have been trying very hard to put in place to overcome this problem. 
Sue Bradford 
: Is it true that as reported in a memo to staff of 19 June the Waitemata District Health Board is actually continuing to rely on the use of police cells for sections 8 and 9 of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act and transporting patients and holding people where there is a risk of violence; and does the Minister think that is going to be viable satisfactory or legal in the long term given the police’s desire not to hold mental health patients? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: No. I do not find it acceptable or desirable and in fact this practice has stopped because the police will not hold them any longer. The Waitemata District Health Board needs to get in line with every other district health board in New Zealand. 
Steve Chadwick 
: What resources have been allocated to Waitemata District Health Board for the delivery of mental health services? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Considerable resources and I am proud to say that it has been this Government that has taken mental health seriously. In 2001-02 there was $85 million in 2002-03 $97 million and in 2003-04 $107 million. That is just for Waitemata District Health Board alone. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: As Inspector Abbott has said that about six patients per month have been held in Henderson cells and today it was acknowledged that two patients had been in cells for 3 days each is that not a clear indication of a Third World mental health service; and if this illegal action has now stopped what is going to happen to those acute patients when there are not acute beds for them? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Part of the packages of care that Waitemata District Health Board has put in place is additional acute beds including new ones it has just agreed to. If this is a Third World mental health system it must have been a “Fourth or Fifth World” system under the previous Government.