Queensland Mothers targeted in Abbott Government cuts to mental health

The Abbott Government’s funding cuts for the National Perinatal Depression Initiative will hurt Queensland mothers.

Health Minister Cameron Dick said the end of funding after 30 June 2015 would see Queensland stripped of $3.2 million over the next two years, money used to provide specialist mental health services to new mothers.

“This initiative improved the prevention and early detection of antenatal and postnatal depression and allowed Queensland to provide better care, support and treatment for expectant and new mothers experiencing depression,” said Mr Dick.

“Women are at increased risk of mental illness during this time – one in six women experience depression or anxiety in the first year after birth, and suicide is the leading cause of death for mothers in Queensland in the first year after birth.”

“The Federal Budget released six weeks ago made no mention of the scrapping of this funding, but with just two weeks until funding was due to be renewed, I received a letter from Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley telling me they are abandoning this initiative.”

“This leaves a $3.2 million gap in funding and is simply not the way to run federal-state relations.

“I call on Tony Abbott and Sussan Ley to restore this vital funding.”

Anecdotal reports identify that the need for inpatient hospital admission and the separation of mother from her baby is prevented in almost every case where there is a perinatal mental health clinical position.

“The removal of this funding will potentially increase the number of women needing to be admitted to hospital,” said Mr Dick. 

The cuts affect a number of current initiatives including several perinatal support mental health staff across a number of Hospital and Health Services, a rural and remote pathways to care project and enhanced screening for women at risk of perinatal depression.

“This is yet more evidence that the Abbott Government does not believe in a properly funded public health system,” said Mr Dick.

“We already have a situation where Queensland will be $11.8 billion worse off over the next decade because Tony Abbott changed the way public hospitals are funded.

“Now the Federal Government is considering a proposal to back out of its responsibilities to fund public hospitals, which would rip over a third of public hospital funding out of the Queensland system.”

“While Tony Abbott is Prime Minister, public health care in Australia will continue to be undermined for nothing more than ideological reasons.”

ENDS

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