TURNBULL MUST RESPOND TO GROWING MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS

The Turnbull Government must break its silence over growing concerns about the quality of mental health services being delivered across Australia.

 

The Royal Flying Doctors Service is the latest organisation to raise the alarm about mental health service issues in rural and remote Australia. These comments today should be a wake-up call for Malcolm Turnbull.

 

It is vitally important the Turnbull Government gets this right. The mental health gap between the city and country is already too wide.

 

Today’s comments follow the Australian Medical Association’s position statement on mental health last week on the ‘gross’ underfunding of mental health services.

 

The Turnbull Government must prioritise greater funding for mental health services in the lead-up to the Budget.

 

Labor knows there is more work to be done to improve the mental health of all Australians and find ways to further reduce the thousands of lives lost to suicide each year.

 

It is only by working together that we will be able to finally reduce the impact of mental health issues in our society

 

Mental health services need more than lip-service from Malcolm Turnbull and his Government.

 

**For 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Other services include Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467, Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636, Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800, MensLine Australia: 1300 789 978 **