MENTAL health was a strong issue at the NSW National Party conference this afternoon, but not all motions about the issue have carried.
The Young Nationals started with a call to the federal government to introduce a mental health portfolio, separate from the existing health portfolio.
Felicity Walker from the Young Nationals said this would give mental health the prominence it deserved, considering the suicide rates among people under 30, particularly in rural areas.
A number of members spoke against this motion, however, concerned that a new portfolio would require a new level of bureaucracy and new costs for the government, and the motion lost the vote.
Bronnie Taylor, the Nationals' new candidate for the NSW Upper House, had more luck with her motion calling for both State and federal governments to act on the mental health needs of people living with chronic and terminal illness and injury, and that of their families.
Ms Taylor said a way to do this would be developing a new criteria under the Better Access to Mental Health initiative to include "psychological distress", and by allowing Medicare mental health clinicians to provide such support services in rural areas, without a GP referral.
This motion was carried unanimously.
Improving the lot of rural GPs was another motion carried unanimously.
The Coolah Cassilis Branch said funds should be allocated so every Local Government Area has a full time medical locum to relieve doctors in those areas, to fix issues of burnout and isolation for rural GPs, and help encourage more young doctors into regional communities.
Roderick Makim
Senior journalist for The Land.
Senior journalist for The Land.
