More for mental health and first nurse led clinic

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDMay 12 2010

Neglecting Mental health in the Budget

Tuesday’s budget saw the Australian government allocate $7.4 billion for health. Many critics have brought to notice that only $200 million has gone towards mental health. The Rudd government has denied such accusations. Health Minister Nicola Roxon agrees that more can’t be done in each individual sector. “It isn't possible for us to do everything at once and it's not possible for the system to absorb everything being done at once…You have to grow within your capacity... and there is a lot in mental health in money that we already spent that is not yet properly in order,” she said on Wednesday. She assured that the $200 million would double the current fund status in the sector.

Ian Hickie, from the Brain and Mind Research Institute feels differently. “They've left the sector to rot,” he said. He pointed out that there is a dire need for funds in the sector. “You never hear it in cancer... you never hear it in heart disease,” he rued. He continued that both mental and dental health was less looked after in Australia. “The government's told us why they're not doing dental health, it costs too much and you'll continue to pay, but at least the services for many people are out there…In mental health, the services are not actually there, you can't buy them, you can't get them.” He felt that mental health was “politically expendable”.

Ms Roxon however assured that a plan of action in the sector is already underway and the government expects to sit down with the states and territories by late 2011.

Nurse led walk in center

In another Australian healthcare related story, it is planned that a new ‘walk-in’ clinic will be set up in Canberra and many nurses agree that this will ease the burden off the health system and the emergency departments. This will be a nurse led center and will operate 16 hours a day, with nurses treating patients with minor ailments. Some doctors however feel that this may not be so good for patient care.

Ged Kearney from the Australian Nursing Federation however feels hopeful that this is the beginning of a new and effective system. “If a patient presents to a nurse practitioner with a problem the nurse practitioner thinks needs a doctor then the nurse practitioner will refer that patient to the doctor of course and no doubt communicate and collaborate with all the other health professionals that he or she needs to,” she said. She feels that this will let nurses take a more active part in health care. “We hope to see more of these walk-in clinics, or frontline primary health care centers run by nurse practitioners…They provide very safe very effective health care. They're expert clinicians in their own right,” she added.

The clinic opens on May 18^th and the government will monitor its success before planning more such centers.