AMAV VICDOC Winter 2024 - Magazine - Page 30
WE ARE IN A PERIOD OF CHANGE
AND TRANSITION IN THE VICTORIAN
MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM.
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Difficulty accessing appropriate care
when you need it has been written about
extensively, especially the difficulties
people experience accessing acute care
and hospital beds when they were most
unwell. With statewide underfunding of
the mental health system over a couple of
decades, the system had limited resources
and patients were treated and relatively
quickly referred back to their GP. Their
GP then had limited ongoing specialised
support or access to a psychiatrist. In this
context, many patients later deteriorated
again resulting in a return to the public
sector system in a revolving door fashion.
This pattern is still observed.
MY INVOLVEMENT IN THE AMA AND VARIOUS
OTHER COMMITTEES LARGELY DEALS WITH
SYSTEMIC ISSUES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
AROUND THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM.
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I get to work with very intelligent and
capable people who have exceptional
insights into the system with innovative
and very effective solutions for the
challenges that we face. I have the chance
to develop this information and provide
feedback to others about this; how things
look on the ground, the potential the
impact of higher-level and government
decisions, and advise how models and
approaches can be optimised and tweaked
to get the best outcomes for patients and
the best use of resources.
30
AMA VI C TO RIA
THERE WAS A ROYAL COMMISSION INTO
VICTORIA’S MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM THAT
RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT GOVERNMENT
FUNDING TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION
OF ITS REFORMS.
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A large range of stakeholders and interest
groups participated, and there were a
range of wish-lists proposed. However, a
number of AMA members have expressed
concerns that in this process there has not
been enough focus or utilisation of actual
expertise from clinical experts and staff
who have significant experience working
in this area. Despite AMA’s advocacy
raising this issue very prominently, I still
don’t think we have the balance right.
If the models and systems developed by
the current reform process are not optimal
and clinical staff on the ground are not
effectively supported to do their work
properly then patients will continue to slip
through the cracks, and we will struggle
to attract and retain the skilled staff and
expertise that hold the system together.
A NEW VICTORIAN MENTAL HEALTH AND
WELLBEING ACT WAS LEGISLATED IN 2022.
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Then, on 1 April 2024 a further stage
of implementation was applying some
provisions in the Act to specifically
designated hospital emergency
departments. The Act has increased
documentation, oversight and escalation
requirements and the workforce and
hospitals have had to develop more
infrastructure around this. AMAV is
actively monitoring this implementation,
its effectiveness and outcomes while also
providing feedback to the department.
