$16 Million In Annual Funding To Support Mental Health
The Finocchiaro CLP Government has confirmed multi-million-dollar funding to operate the new mental health unit under construction at Royal Darwin Hospital.
Funding of $16 million per year will be used to provide operational costs for the 24-bed facility from 2025-26 with an additional $500,000 for the purchase of medical equipment.
These funds, which will be unveiled in this year’s Territory Budget, will enable RDH to improve patient care and safety, alleviate bed shortages and provide improved mental health services across the Territory.
Minister for Health and Mental Health Steve Edgington said the new $86.3 million mental health unit would provide a dedicated space for patients experiencing acute mental health crises and will assist to reduce bed block, improving patient flow and health service capacity.
“The construction of this facility will not only reduce the burden on the emergency department but enhance patient outcomes and safety,” he said.
The new funding will provide about 56 staff for a 24/7 roster, including nursing, medical, allied health, radiology and pathology professions.
It will also be used to purchase hospital beds and other equipment for the ward as well as cover ongoing costs for utilities, catering, cleaning, pharmacy, clinical consumables and security.
“This investment will improve acute mental health service capacity and make sure people can be cared for in an appropriate purpose-built facility that complements broader programs aimed at harm minimisation and improving the health and wellbeing of Territorians,” said Mr Edgington.
“The CLP Government promised 2025 would be a year of action, certainty and security and that is what we will deliver in our first Budget.”
Two of the three levels of the new building will support 18 inpatient beds, support services and a six-bed Stabilisation Assessment and Referral Area (SARA), with the third level to meet future capacity and health service needs.
This facility will be connected to the emergency department via an elevated enclosed walkway across Nightingale Road.
The SARA will provide short-term care in a therapeutic environment for people in mental health crisis who present to the emergency department and who may benefit from detailed assessment, management plans and referral to other providers for ongoing mental health care.
Mr Edgington said under Labor funding had only been injected into construction of the facility, but nothing was set aside to operate the mental health ward and have it run efficiently.
“Without operational funding NT Health would not have been able to staff up or utilise these new beds, undermining previous investments and worsening existing pressures,” he said.
“We cannot expect to offer support services to some of our most vulnerable members of the community without investing in the operation of our health and mental health services.”
The NT Budget will be handed down on Tuesday, 13 May.
https://nt.gov.au/