GPs missed in $1 billion mental health promise

A newly announced Federal Election commitment of $1 billion for ‘more free’ mental health support services will plough funding into the workforce, but the RACGP has voiced significant concerns over the policy’s potential to further fragment care.
 
On Tuesday, the Labor Party unveiled details of a major new funding pledge, mostly targeted at improving access to mental health support for young people, in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calls ‘a central part’ of the health policy his party will take to the election on 3 May.
 
Under the funding commitment, $500 million is earmarked to build 20 new specialist mental health centres to provide ongoing care to young people with personality disorders or early psychosis.
 
An additional $225 million would be directed towards 31 new or upgraded Medicare Mental Health Centres, while around $200 million would target 58 new, upgraded or expanded headspace services.
 
There would also be $90 million set aside for around 1200 training places to boost the mental health workforce, including support for 200 GPs and other medical professionals to undertake the new Certificate of Postgraduate Training in Clinical Psychiatry.
 
However, RACGP President Dr Michael Wright has been left disappointed by Labor’s announcement, saying GPs deal with mental health daily as part of complex consultations. 
 
‘We know that most people prefer seeing their local GP when it comes to mental health,’ he told newsGP.
 
‘That’s why the RACGP has been calling for Government to increase Medicare rebates for mental health consultations, so patients can affordably see a GP to get this type of care.
 
‘We’re disappointed that this announcement has the potential to confuse patients and further fragment medical care.’
 
In its detailed plan for accessible general practice care launched in the lead-up to the election, the RACGP called for a 25% increase to patient rebates for mental health consultations.
 
However, Federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler said the Federal Government’s new funding commitment would provide a comprehensive, complex care service for young Australians for the first time.

‘We are determined to build the mental health workforce,’ he said.
 
Last month, opposition leader Peter Dutton promised an investment of $400 million for youth mental health services if elected, in addition to a previously announced pledge to increase the number of subsidised psychology sessions to 20.
 
The spending pledges come amid a rise in mental health presentations, which has consistently been reflected in the RACGP’s Health of the Nation survey – the 2024 report showed 71% of GPs rank mental health as among the most common reasons for patient consults.
 
Those rates have risen significantly, up from 61% when the survey started in 2017. 
 
GPs also cited mental health as the emerging patient issue that caused them the most concern, far outstripping any other matter.
 
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, GPs have seen the largest increase in patient numbers for mental health services – rising 80% from 1.3 million in 2012 to 2.3 million in 2021.
 
One in five Australians delay seeing a mental health professional due to expense, particularly for psychiatrists and psychologists, data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics also suggests.
 
That trend is highest among people aged between 15 and 24 years compared with people 65 years and over, at 23% and 8.6% respectively.
 
Minister Butler said the $1-billion package is a new investment in addition to previously announced projects such as the National Early Intervention Service, which begins on 1 January next year, and bulk-billed telehealth psychiatry.
 
He described headspace as a ‘core part’ of the youth mental health system.
 
‘When I was young these services didn’t exist,’ he said.
 
‘If you had a mental health issue as a young person, you were expected to visit mum and dad’s GP. And perhaps unsurprisingly, not many young people did.’
 
Health issues have been at the heart of this Federal election campaign, with an increasing focus on mental health in recent weeks.

As well as calling for the increase to patient rebates for mental health consults, the RACGP has advocated for decoupling the Focussed Psychological Strategies GP consults from the Better Access scheme, meaning they would not count towards the subsidised psychology sessions.
 
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Federal Election mental health mental health workforce psychology