New figures released today show ‘measurable improvements’ in access to mental health and addiction services across New Zealand, with progress recorded in all three national performance targets compared with the same quarter last year.
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said the first year-on-year results for the first quarter were encouraging, particularly in reducing emergency department wait times and improving access to both primary and specialist services.
According to the data, 83.4 percent of people accessed primary mental health and addiction support within one week, up from 80.8 percent in the same quarter last year. Access to specialist mental health and addiction services within three weeks rose to 82.2 percent, compared with 80.4 percent previously.
The proportion of people presenting to emergency departments who were seen and admitted or discharged within six hours increased from 63.5 percent to 66.8 percent.
Despite ongoing challenges with emergency department wait times, eight of the country’s 20 health districts met the 77 percent milestone for shorter stays, including all districts in the South Island.
The data also showed improvements across Māori, Pacific and Asian communities. Shorter emergency department stays for Asian patients increased from 53.8 percent to 59 percent, specialist access for Māori rose from 82.5 percent to 83.6 percent, and access to primary support for Pacific peoples improved from 81.6 percent to 87.4 percent.
Doocey said the government’s focus remains on addressing regional disparities and ending what he described as a “postcode lottery” in access to care, with targeted work underway in underperforming districts.
He credited frontline mental health and addiction workers for the progress and said the goal remains consistent access to timely support, regardless of where people live.
Image credit: Sasha Freemind
