Mental Health system improvements
The health system is slowly turning around, with key indicators improving. Still a long way to go, but the latest data on mental health targets is encouraging. Over the last year we have seen:
- Mental health and addiction-related stays in ED <6hrs from 63.5% to 66.8%
- Accessing specialist mental health and addiction services seen within three weeks of referral from 80.4% to 82.2%
- Accessing primary mental health and addiction services within one week from 80.8% to 83.4%
- 349 more mental health and addiction professionals trained
- Mental health and addiction ringfenced investment allocated to prevention and early intervention up from 23.9% target to 24.4%
The overall health system targets have mainly improved since the year to June 2024.
- Cancer treatment within 31 days from 83.5% to 86.8%
- 24 month immunisation rate from 76.5% to 82.6%
- Seen in ED within six hours from 71.2% down to 68.9%
- Specialist appt within four months from 61.5% to 65.9%
- Elective treatment within four months from 61.4% to 65.9%
So the ED waiting time is the only one not improved, and has to be the major focus going forward.
For those interested this was the record under Labour:
- Cancer treatment within 31 days from 88.6% to 83.5%, down 5.1 percentage points
- 24 month immunisation rate from 91.9% to 76.5%, down 15.4 percentage points
- Seen in ED within six hours from 89.5% down to 71.2%, down 18.3 percentage points
- Specialist appt within four months from 97.8% to 61.5%, down 36.3 percentage points
- Elective treatment within four months from 95.1% to 61.4%, down 33.7 percentage points
Labour’s legacy was a disaster.
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