Tammy Tyrrell (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Gallagher. Today is R U OK? Day. We're telling people to have open and honest conversations about their mental health and to reach out if they need to speak to a professional. But when Tasmanians do reach out for professional help, they're put on a waiting list for up to eight months. There just aren't enough psychologists around to fill the demand for their services. What is the government doing to address the critical workforce shortages in the mental health sector that are currently preventing Tasmanians from getting timely access to care?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Tyrrell for the question, for her advocacy for her state of Tasmania and particularly for her focus on access to health care, because it is a serious issue. It's a serious issue right across the country, but we acknowledge that in Tasmania there are significant workforce shortages, and we need to be putting in place a whole range of responses to that, including training more psychologists. But that will take some time, and the Minister for Health and Aged Care has some measures focused on that to encourage more people in, particularly psychologists. There's certainly a shortage of psychologists here in the ACT, and I know that goes right across the country. There are issues around how we get more people into university to actually train to be psychologists. Then there's how we manage some particular programs and invest in the workforce in Tasmania in the short term.

I know we've been doing a lot of work with the Tasmanian government, looking particularly at how we can invest in the primary healthcare system in Tasmania, because that's under enormous pressure as well. We know that GPs do a lot of the mental health support at the moment. Because of shortages in those other areas, they have that responsibility. Often the first point of contact for people is to go to their GP to undertake, if they need it, a mental health plan. We're doing some work, which you are aware of, with the Tasmanian government in relation to the Primary Care Pilots to train general practice workforce. We're also looking at how we can support GP trainees. So there is a focus on the primary healthcare system at the start. But, yes, we acknowledge that there's a bigger issue on workforce right across the board, and that's going to take a longer time to fix. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Tyrrell, first supplementary?

Tammy Tyrrell (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The National Mental Health Workforce Strategy report, started under the former government, was supposed to be handed down at the end of 2021. As of right now, it's nowhere to be seen. There are references on a government webpage that say health ministers have endorsed the strategy since July 2023, so I'm guessing they've seen it; it's just not public. Why hasn't the report been released?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't actually have any information on that, Senator Tyrrell, so I am happy to undertake—perhaps in the interim, as we won't be sitting—for the Minister for Health and Aged Care to respond to you directly on that. I know that there has been a huge amount of work being done through health ministers on health workforce. One of the issues was that before it was abolished—I think by Peter Dutton—we had in place Health Workforce Australia, an independent body that did the planning on what workforce we need and how to get there over the long term. Unfortunately, that body was abolished. Not a lot was done in the meantime, and now we are trying to work with states and territories not only to deliver the workers they need right now but to invest in the chain for the future. That includes looking at how we utilise international workers right across the board. I will undertake for the Health minister to respond to you on the specifics.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, I just remind you to refer to those in the other place by their correct titles. Minister—Senator Tyrrell, second supplementary?

Tammy Tyrrell (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't think I'll ever be a minister, but thank you. The March 2022 budget allocated $60.7 million to implement the 10-year National Mental Health Workforce Strategy. The budget papers suggest that this money is going towards some great programs, but again there was little detail available. We just have to take the government's word for it. When can Australians expect to see the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy Report and the government's response to it?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Tyrrell for the supplementary. That's right. The Minister for Health and Aged Care, in our budget, did respond in a range of areas. Mental health is one of those areas, and it needs both a thorough assessment of the current programs and investment in new programs. The minister for health is undertaking that. I acknowledge Senator Tyrrell's questions at estimates in relation to this area, and I'm sure we can have the opportunity in October to go through it in more detail. I think the question relates to the first supplementary. In that instance, the minister for health doesn't know yet, but I have on his behalf said that he will respond to you directly on those matters.