There is a gap in mental health services for people who need more than 10 psychology sessions but don’t need hospital admission.Credit:AP
She said people with post-traumatic stress disorder,obsessive compulsive disorder,persistent depression,schizophrenia and bipolar needed more than those 10 hours of treatment for it to make a difference to their lives.
“We have been waiting since the end of 2022 for advice from government on care options for these patients with more complex conditions and we are now nearing a crisis point,” she said.
Health Minister Mark Butlerwas criticised last December when he cut the number of Medicare-covered psychology sessions from 20 to 10 a year,ending a COVID measure introduced by the former Coalition government.
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A review of the system found the additional sessions had clogged up services for new patients and were used more in wealthier parts of the country,but recommended keeping them for people with complex mental health needs – which the government did not do.
Butler said the 20 sessions policy had meant tens of thousands of people were shut out of care,including the most vulnerable. He said government data showed 64,000 additional people were able to access treatment in the first quarter of this year,after the policy ended,compared to 2022.
“Tens of thousands more Australians have been able to get in to see a psychologist compared to the same time last year,” Butler said.