Nany Maree
Two point three billion dollars. The Treasurer called it a record. I got the calculator out.
Tuesday's budget puts $2.3 billion into mental health over four years. The biggest slice, $1.4 billion, goes to new mental health centres, Headspace included. There's $298 million for suicide prevention and $249 million for online services. It answers the Productivity Commission's inquiry from last June.
Sebastian Rosenberg from Sydney Uni says it's still a long way short, and reckons closer to a billion a year is what's needed.
Here's what I'd like to know. Where do the centres go? Out here on the coast, getting an appointment depends on your postcode. Four years sounds like a lot until you divide it by the waiting list.
Talk to your GP or health professional about your own body.
Source: ABC News, 2021-05-11
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