There are the identical variety of complete beds for acute psychological well being sufferers as there have been in 2017, regardless of almost $2 billion being allotted for the psychological well being sector, new information has revealed immediately.

Currently, there are 608 beds out there for acute psychological well being sufferers.

Newshub reported tonight this quantity fluctuated briefly in 2021 reaching a peak of 619, however has since declined again to 608 – the 2017 stage.

In Budget 2019 the Government introduced $1.9b for psychological well being, with $235 million put aside for constructing psychological well being and dependancy amenities.

This got here after it was revealed acute psychological well being models had been operating at capability.

Health Minister Andrew Little instructed Newshub it was “taking way longer than it should do, but there is progress now evident”.

“The funding was available from 2019, the commitment was available from that time. It still beggars belief for me that it has taken this long to get those things going,” Little mentioned.

New paperwork additionally obtained by Newshub present the Health Minister ordered a “deep dive” into why psychological well being infrastructure isn’t being delivered.

This concerned the tasks implementation part being instructed to collaborate with the Infrastructure Commission and “conduct a deep dive” into every of the 16 Mental Health Infrastructure Programme tasks with the intention to develop a supply technique that “ensures initiatives gather momentum and get going,” Newshub reported.

National’s Mental Health and Suicide Prevention spokesperson Matt Doocey mentioned severe questions have to be answered.

“Where has this money gone, why hasn’t it made any difference and why has there been no investment in bed numbers?” Doocey requested.

“This Labour Government constantly confuses spending money with outcomes. If money was the answer to solving the many issues facing the sector, then Kiwis would have timely access to services, and better facilities, and see an overall improvement in the country’s mental wellbeing.”

National Party chief Christopher Luxon instructed Newshub it was “quite astonishing” such a big sum of taxpayers’ cash had been allotted but with no single further mattress out there immediately.

“You’ve gotta ask the questions, where has the money gone?”