Former royal commissioner Alan Fels concerned over Victorian mental health ‘slowdown’
Former Victorian mental health royal commissioner Alan Fels says the latest state budget ‘indicates a significant slowdown’ in the implementation of the commission’s recommendations.
Former Victorian mental health royal commissioner Alan Fels says the latest state budget “indicates a significant slowdown” in the implementation of the commission’s recommendations, which is “of emerging concern”.
The comments from the economist, lawyer and inaugural ACCC chairman come as analysis of Allan government budget papers and media releases shows just $109m of new mental health spending in the 2024-25 budget, compared with $776m last year.
The more than seven-fold fall is occurring despite the government forecasting its mental health levy on business payrolls will raise more than $1bn in 2024-25.
The budget, handed down earlier this month, saw the timeline for delivering local mental health and wellbeing hubs extended from 10 to 15 years, and no funding allocated for a promised “mental health lived experience agency”, nor for a range of other initiatives recommended by the royal commission and previously agreed to by the government.
“Up until the most recent budget, Victoria was broadly fully implementing the royal commission recommendations,” said Professor Fels, who was one of three commissioners who presided over the state’s mental health royal commission. He has long championed mental health reform, as both a former chair of the National Mental Health Commission and as the father of a daughter with schizophrenia.
“However, the latest budget indicates a significant slowdown in its implementation. It’s of emerging concern.”
Prior to the royal commission, which tabled its findings more than three years ago, Victoria had the lowest per capita expenditure on mental health in Australia – 13 per cent below the national average – prompting the sector to emphasise that much of the $6bn so far committed to implementing the commission’s findings has been spent on redressing a legacy of neglect.
As The Australian revealed earlier this month, the budget cuts also come as both the Victorian suicide rate and mental health-related presentations to the state’s emergency departments have surged to a five-year high.
Professor Fels is not alone in voicing his concern. Health and Community Services Union Victorian secretary Paul Healey has condemned the state budget as the “bleakest” seen in “many, many years” and the cuts as “unacceptable”, warning the impact will be “seismic” and declaring the government’s vision in its initial response to the royal commission “has been completely lost”.
Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt confirmed in a parliamentary accounts and estimates committee hearing last week that psychiatrist vacancies in Victoria are 2.5 times higher, and psychologist vacancies 2.6 times higher, than they were in 2019, despite the government spending $600m since 2021 on boosting the mental health workforce.
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Victorian branch chair Simon Stafrace has warned that a failure to address chronic workforce shortages puts the state at risk of “going backwards on the gains we have made so far”.
Mental Health Victoria CEO Marcelle Mogg has similarly warned that the budget cuts and delays “create doubt” as to the ability to implement the royal commissions recommendations.
A spokeswoman for the Allan government said work was underway on 90 per cent of the royal commission’s recommendations. “These reforms are already transforming Victoria’s mental health system – but it is important to acknowledge that change will not happen overnight,” she said.
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