Tasmania's first dedicated mental health and wellbeing portfolio will provide a "fresh approach" to the important issues, according to the man responsible for governing it.
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Jeremy Rockliff was sworn in as Tasmania's first Mental Health and Wellbeing Minister on Tuesday, as part of the cabinet reshuffle that saw long-standing Health Minister Michael Ferguson replaced with Sarah Courtney.
Amid calls for clarity over what the health portfolio's division will mean for mental health patients requiring acute care, Mr Rockliff said the government was focused on improving integration across the health system.
"Similar ministerial structures work extremely well in many other jurisdictions around the nation and we are always looking at what more we can do," he said.
"Patients will continue to receive the best possible care delivered by our hardworking and passionate mental health professionals."
Under the shake-up, Mr Rockcliff will now be responsible for the government's Rethink Mental Health Plan along with other suicide prevention strategies.
He said the government remained committed to its $104 million plan to deliver more support for Tasmanians living with mental ill-health.
"System integration and ensuring the right support is available in the right place and at the right time is a huge part of this plan, and this will prevent people's conditions escalating to more acute situations," he said.
"The wellbeing aspect of the portfolio focuses largely on preventative health, which is another key focus area of this government that we are taking a fresh approach towards."
The cabinet shake-up was welcomed by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation. However, Tasmania branch executive director Andrew Brakey said they would be seeking clarification around how the two health portfolios would interact.
"Mental health patients are still within that acute system. To further pull them apart at a higher governance level could be a bit concerning, because there are already some real issues there," he said.
Mr Brakey said Tasmania could follow in the footsteps of New Zealand, who recently implemented a world-first wellbeing budget, with a focus on mental health.
"Something like that is reasonably progressive and we would be supportive of that, as long as the two ministers could prove they could work together to achieve outcomes," he said.
Mr Brakey said the ANMF hoped to sit down with Ms Courtney and Mr Rockliff early next week to clarify their positions.
Jessica Willard
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
