“Healthcare in Focus” Mental Health Report

Today the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) released its annual
healthcare performance report Healthcare in Focus.

People’s use and
experiences of mental health care in NSW

Extract – Foreword

‘Many
Australians will experience a mental health issue at some stage of their lives,
and almost every Australian will experience their effects through a family
member, friend or work colleague. Caring for people who experience mental
health issues is a major focus of health services in New South Wales (NSW). Mental
health services are currently undergoing major reform and improving care for
people with mental health issues is the subject of significant investment.

In
previous years, Healthcare in Focus has taken the form of a compendium-style
report that endeavoured to provide a broad overview of healthcare performance
in NSW.  For this ninth edition, the
Bureau of Health Information (BHI) is proud to use its unique position and
expertise to support a growing public interest in mental health services. For
the first time, we are looking at the performance of the NSW health system
through a specific lens – the use and experiences of health services by people
with lived experience of mental health issues.

Mental
health issues are complex. Likewise, the mental health care system in NSW is
complex and involves a variety of providers delivering services across a range
of settings. While this report cannot be a comprehensive analysis of
whole-system performance, it represents an important first step in BHI’s
performance reporting in this space.’

Read the full report here.