1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,840 Speaker 1: So the ghost of labor past has come back this 2 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: morning as we remember that famed splash of cash for 3 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: mental health and the budget of twenty nineteen one point 4 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: nine billion, of which six hundred and sixty four million 5 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: was given for what was called Access and Choice Access 6 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: and Choice Program to improve mild to moderate mental health care. Apparently, 7 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: as we hit the five year mark, we can see 8 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: the target of supporting three hundred and twenty five thousand 9 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:21,760 Speaker 1: of us is well short. They are helping two hundred 10 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: and seven thousand, or thirty six percent of what they thought. Anyway, 11 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: the Mental Health and Well Being Commissioned CEO Karen Osborne's 12 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: with us Karen, morning to. 13 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 2: You, Good morning Mike. 14 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: In very simple terms, do you think this is working? 15 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: Giving you so short? 16 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 2: Look, we do think the program is working. Yes, it 17 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 2: is short of the three hundred and twenty hundred thousand 18 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 2: people per annum, But what we have seen is the 19 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 2: reach of this program across primary care and community services 20 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 2: is at sixty eight percent, which is very close to 21 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 2: the seventy percent that was anticipated. So the reach is 22 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 2: there in terms of the services being available. What really 23 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 2: now needs to happen is real focus on increasing the 24 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,559 Speaker 2: numbers of people who are using those services. 25 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: Why aren't they using it? 26 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:09,320 Speaker 2: Well, there's a range of factors. I mean, some of 27 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 2: them have taken time to come on stream. There is 28 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:15,399 Speaker 2: also what we hear that people don't know always know 29 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 2: where to go to get the help. So there is 30 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 2: an issue of awareness, but it's also about what's happening 31 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 2: on the ground in some of those practices to make 32 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 2: sure that it's easy for people to access these services. 33 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: And sound very well coordinated or organized after five years? 34 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: Am I being unfair? 35 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 2: Look? I think these are services that are in primary cares, 36 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 2: are GP practices, rural practices, urban practices, and community services 37 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 2: such as new use services, Pacific Services, co Paper Maori. 38 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 2: So it's very widespread and it's what we have seen 39 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 2: is really good progress, but just that really focused attention 40 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 2: that needs to happen in this next stage. 41 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: But all over here on the media is how you 42 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: can't get access to mental healthcare. Why doesn't somebody join 43 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: some dots and say, well, there's plenty of money, plenty 44 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: of service, And if you're talking about the primary care 45 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 1: of the doctor, why doesn't every GP in the country 46 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 1: know here is the service and putting you in the right. 47 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 2: Direction and that's where we really need to see this focus. 48 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: So this review was. 49 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: It's it's five years. Why haven't we got the focus? 50 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: Why isn't it up and running in you know, tickety boo? 51 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: Why are we spending hundreds of millions of dollars in 52 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: something that after five years doesn't work? 53 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 2: It does work, and we've heard some really really positive 54 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 2: feedback from the people who use their services, and so 55 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 2: it is working for many people. It's just not getting 56 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 2: to the number of people that it really needs to. 57 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,679 Speaker 2: And some of this is the way this service was designed, 58 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 2: so having people in individual practices and having people being 59 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 2: able to access on the day, and that there's not 60 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 2: a steady flow of people always needing those services. So 61 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 2: what we also need to use is some of the 62 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 2: digital virtual tools to make sure that people are being 63 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 2: fully utilized across the country. So there are some strengths 64 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 2: in the all, but there's also some areas that need 65 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 2: to improve, and it's really what we're shining. 66 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: Then it sounds like complete and utter waste to me. 67 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 2: No, that's not. 68 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:10,799 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, for the people who are using it, fantastic, 69 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 1: that's good. So congratulations, But at only thirty six percent. 70 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: That's sixty four percent of people who are not being 71 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: reached allegedly, and maybe you're suggesting they don't need to 72 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:22,640 Speaker 1: be reached because maybe they don't actually have a problem. 73 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: So we're spending money on a problem that doesn't exist 74 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: as widely as we think it does. 75 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 2: Oh look the numbers around the wrong Way is actually 76 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,079 Speaker 2: reaching sixty four percent of the people, so it's thirty 77 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 2: six that's remaining. So it's reaching two thirds of the 78 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 2: number of people that was anticipated. My apologies. Yeah, yeah, 79 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,119 Speaker 2: so the worst and delays through COVID. So this program 80 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 2: started in twenty twenty and so those early years did 81 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 2: take a bit longer to get up and running. Got 82 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 2: it also was employed or the system has employed an 83 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 2: extra thirteen hundred stars, so this program across the country 84 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 2: and that's that's a big uptack in terms of that resource. 85 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 2: So is what we're wanting to see is that resource 86 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 2: being used to the most benefit for the people in 87 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 2: the community. So it's come a long way, but it's 88 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 2: definitely got some more work to be done, and we 89 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:18,279 Speaker 2: particularly also want to see more focus on our young people. 90 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 2: So this program is reaching young people, and we know 91 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 2: young people are having a delays to access specialist mental 92 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 2: health and addiction services. So this is providing much needed 93 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 2: support to those young people. 94 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: Okay, I must get you back on again care because 95 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: I've got of a bunch of other questions that i 96 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: don't have time for now. But that's I appreciate your time, 97 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: Karen Olsborn, who's the Mental Health and well Being Commissioned. 98 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 2: So for more from the mic Asking Breakfast, listen live 99 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 2: to news talks that'd be from six am weekdays, or 100 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 2: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.