Archived Media Releases: 31 March 2006

ANF welcomes Senate report on mental health

The Australian Senate select committee report on mental health tabled in Parliament late yesterday requires urgent action by all levels of government, Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) federal secretary Jill Iliffe said today.

‘Decades of neglect of our mental health system has led to a crisis that can no longer be ignored or disputed. This report confirms a combination of political will and adequate funding of mental health can restore a sense of humanity to the vast number of people in our communities affected by mental illness.

The ANF endorses the Committee’s recommendations on workforce and education in relation to mental health nurses, Ms Iliffe said.

‘The Senate report acknowledges the difficulties of recruiting and retaining nurses in mental health and the often appalling working conditions confronting nurses working in the sector.

‘The Australian Government is acutely aware of the workforce issues in nursing across the board. We have an ageing population of nurses and not enough graduates coming through.’

There has been a recent commitment to increase nursing places at universities but it remains inadequate with thousands of eligible applicants missing out on a place each year, Ms Iliffe said.

‘Mental health nursing in particular also suffers from the negative images that come from the current state of the sector. This report provides an opportunity to fix the problems, let’s hope our politicians embrace it.’

Media Contacts
Jill Iliffe, Federal Secretary 0419 576 590
Ged Kearney, Assistant Federal Secretary 0417 053 322
Lani Stanistreet, Manager Communication & Journals 0414 471 339

The ANF, representing 150,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses and midwives in Australia