The Central West has experienced a surge in the number of residents seeking mental health support services to help them cope with the ongoing stresses associated with the drought and other climate catastrophes.

The Western Queensland Primary Health Network (WQPHN) will reveal to this week’s (28/08/19) Mental Health Roundtable in Longreach, that the region’s leading mental health service providers have seen their service rates more than double in the past year.

The WQPHN’s health intelligence data reveals an 82% rise in the number of clients being seen by PHN funded mental health support services in the Central West in the past year, a rise to more than 700 people in 2018/19.

There’s also been a significant increase in the role local GPs are playing in treating mental health patients, with a 40% rise in the uptake of Mental Health Treatment Plans, a process where care is planned and managed.

The Central West Mental Health Roundtable will bring together stakeholders from Local Government Authorities, Rural Financial Counselling Services, WQPHN Commissioned Service Providers and State Government Mental Health Services. 

The Roundtable is jointly organised by the WQPHN and the Remote Area Planning and Development Board (RAPAD), which encompasses seven shires in the Central West and co-ordinates financial counselling in the region.

The full media release can be found here.

Western Qld Primary Health Network (WQPHN) quick facts:

• commissions health services in Western Queensland
• covers almost one million square kilometres of Queensland, 55% of the state’s total land area
• aligns health investment with demonstrated population health needs
• uses health intelligence data to orientate health services efficiently and effectively
• ensures the right primary health care is delivered, at the right time by the right provider
• advised by GPs and other health professionals and consumers
• one of 31 PHNs across Australia established and funded by the Commonwealth Government

ENDS

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