An Auckland mental health programme catering for people with long-standing or chronic problems will shut down.
On Thursday afternoon, Health NZ told patients and staff of Rauaroha Segar House the service would close its doors.
Operating from its central-city Khyber Pass Rd base, Segar House is a publicly-funded, intensive programme that involves group therapy and is focused on allowing people to function in society.
The service had an allocation of seven full-time equivalent staff members, although RNZ was told it had been operating below that, and 10 patients at any given time.
Health NZ has been consulting on its proposal to shut Segar House since April. In its change proposal, it said not enough people were treated there and staff would be better deployed elsewhere.
Public Service Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said the union “strongly objects” to the closure.
“Despite the critical life-saving work done at Segar House, Health New Zealand has today announced its decision to shut this unique, much-needed service,” she said.
“This is terrible news for staff, those who rely on the specialist support offered at Segar House, and their loved ones.”
Staff devastated at closure
The union called on Health NZ and the Government to reverse the decision and instead “commit to properly funding Segar House”.
“The team working at Segar House are devastated. They know this decision will have tragic consequences,” Fitzsimons said.
She said people who used Segar House’s services included those with horrific trauma and complex health histories.
“They can only come to Segar House when they’ve already exhausted all other options — it’s the last option for these mental health patients.”
‘There isn’t an alternative’
Labour spokeswoman for mental health Ingrid Leary also said news of the closure was devastating.
“It’s very specialised and there isn’t actually an alternative. People should be able to get the care they need in the community, so what’s going to happen to those people now?”
She criticised the Government for focusing on cuts, and Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey for not showing leadership.
Doocey has been contacted for comment.
“It’s painfully short-sighted as all communities need primary, secondary and tertiary levels of mental healthcare to some degree, and reopening facilities like this is much harder to do once they’ve been shut down — as the UK has discovered recently when trying to reverse similar decisions,” Leary said.
Staff and many patients have said no other programmes offered the same treatment.
Staff proposed an alternative plan to keep Segar House open and widen the criteria for those who could use the service, but this has not convinced Health NZ.
Changes introduced six years ago meant only people who had failed in other settings were eligible, although the PSA said a recent trial with lower admission criteria was successful.
Less than a week ago the PSA sent Health NZ a lawyer’s letter asking officials to reopen consultation on the proposed closure. The PSA said it was still seeking legal advice about this.
This came after Leary obtained correspondence that showed Segar House’s lease was to expire last year, before a last-minute extension, and no discussion about alternative venues.
Health NZ said lease arrangements had nothing to do with its closure plan.
Leary said today she was disappointed consultation was not reopened.
Health NZ has been contacted for comment.
An online petition run by the PSA, calling for Segar House to remain, has more than 2600 signatures.
rnz.co.nz
