Deputy CMO for Mental Health and Mental Health Crisis Plan

Source: The Australian

Scott Morrison will appoint the country’s first deputy chief medical officer for mental health to steer a new pandemic plan for a feared second wave of the COVID-19 crisis.

The Australian can reveal the role — to be discussed by national cabinet on Friday — will sit alongside the Chief Medical Officer, Brendan Murphy, who has been leading the country’s response to the pandemic and has recommended mental health be elevated to a tier one issue.

Health Minister Greg Hunt will on Wednesday deliver a statement on mental health in response to the crisis, following research from the country’s leading health experts suggesting financial distress and social isolation could lead to more deaths than the virus.

The Australian can confirm that former chief psychiatrist with the Health Department, Ruth Vine, has been appointed to the role and will steer a major mental health response to a crisis that threatens a 50 per cent increase in suicide directly related to the economic shutdown and the associated distress.

Mr Hunt also confirmed that a major pandemic plan for mental health would be taken to national cabinet on Friday, with state and territory health ministers expected to agree to a new model to deliver mental health crisis plans across the country.“The mental health impacts of COVID-19, and the ongoing impact of other major events such as the bushfires and drought, will be significant and take many months to resolve,” Mr Hunt said. “Just as the government is modelling the spread of COVID-19 infection to continue flattening the curve, we are also closely monitoring mental health service usage so we can respond quickly and lessen the mental health impacts of the pandemic and the recovery phase.“

A National Mental Health Pandemic Response Plan will be discussed with states and territories through the national cabinet. The plan has been prepared with the support of the National Mental Health Commission.