The madness of shutting down Segar House

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Matt Doocey - Minister of knowing nothing

Of all the shitty things this Government has done, this may well be the worst…

Auckland intensive mental health service proposed to close

The proposed closure of an intensive mental health service is “insulting nonsense”, according to one advocate, and news to the minister in charge, who found out on the day The Post put in a request for comment.

Te Whatu Ora – Health NZ proposed earlier this month to close Segar House ‒ its Auckland-based tertiary level specialist psychotherapy service ‒ and redistribute the services and funding.

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey had not been told of the proposal until Thursday.

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In the change document, which was leaked to psychotherapist, broadcaster and former Segar employee Kyle MacDonald, it proposes to disestablish the programme, re-invest the resources into community mental health teams and redeploy staff.

“It’s insulting nonsense,“ MacDonald said. ”Frankly, I think it’s going to put people’s lives at risk.“

…Segar House is one of the very few jewels in the crown of our mental health service.

I have known people whose lives and wellbeing were only achievable in a specialist centre like Segar, what is being proposed here is to smash the last remaining crown jewel so that Te Whatu Ora can sprinkle that smashed jewel as far and wide as possible because of intense budget and hiring pressures.

It’s driven by the Government’s move to privatise health by underfunding public health until it literally collapses.

That the Minister was even aware of the decision is shameful.

This Government’s cruelty and desire to cut public services until the ill informed demand privatisation is a game the Right play over and over and over again.

 

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16 COMMENTS

  1. Astonishing and unbelievable. Please keep following this up.
    One can’t imagine the mindset that contemplates such a thing. Bring on the next election

    • Really Susan. With Hipkins in charge we will not have much to celebrate methinks.
      I loathe this lot but I loathed the last lot. None of them care about the things that you and I do, they are much more interested in ensuring each and every one of them retains their seat.

  2. If the Minister is not aware of what is happening how can it be government driven More likely it is driven by HO staff in the public service trying to make a name for themselves . Matt is a Minister who really cares about those people with mental health problems

    • It is Government driven because of underfunding, everyone and his dog knows that. Health NZ have made a statement to that effect. The public health system has been “stripped back”. In fact even with the doctors’ negotiations this was NZ Health’s response…“We value our doctors and want to do the best we can for them, but the reality is that Health NZ has limited budget available for salary settlements within its tight financial constraints,” she said.

      It IS Government driven and a pathetic attempt to blame staff by you. If Matt really cared they would fund proportionately.

    • That weak shit ain’t like you Trevor. Usually you’re in there kicking people with your keyboard now you want to hold Matt’s head while he bleeds out. So gay.

    • ‘Matt is a Minister who really cares about those people with mental health problems.’
      What is he doing about Winston then?

  3. Shutting down this service and a directive to police not to attend mental health call outs where there is substantial risk is beyond comprehension. It seems National are happy with a few deaths at the expense of saving a few dollars.
    Meanwhile landlords are given tax breaks where there is no risk to lives.

  4. Matt Doozey … saw him strutting around the corridors of Wellington hospital a few weeks ago acting like a little Caesar. He’s another of Luxon’s liabilities.

  5. Imagine the huge numbers of deaths during the pandemic if this government had been in office at the time.

    The onslaught of austerity policies will result in all public services being run down to critical levels and will take decades to recover if at all. Meanwhile New Zealanders will be at risk as they were when these polices were implemented by the National government in the 1990’s.

    Closing Seagar is criminal and will lead to more loss of life. And its being done while we are losing so many of our people to suicide.

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