Dr. Fiona Keogh:

It very much is. Mental health promotion, for example, can be described as the orphan child of the orphan child if mental health is the orphan child in the sense that it is not seen as the core business of a mental health service. It probably is not; it sits better in a wider community approach.

In terms of access to primary care mental health supports, the counselling in primary care service was put in place and funded by the mental health service as a proof of concept to be taken up by primary care and expanded and funded. It speaks to that discussion as to whether the mental health budget should be funding primary care services. It has a mental health label attached to it but certainly funding is needed to expand counselling in primary care. We know it has worked. Waiting lists have already developed because of the popularity, usefulness and benefits of that service. The evaluation of that service was very positive with 70% to 80% of people seeing significant reductions in their symptoms or presenting issues. That is definitely a high priority.