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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
Members of the Hospital Authority (HA) Board were briefed at the Administrative and Operational Meeting today (March 24) and endorsed the Mental Health Service Plan which has been developed by the Authority as a framework to guide mental health services for adults in the years 2010-2015.
The Plan was formulated under the guidance of the Taskforce on Mental Health Service Plan established in June 2009, with an aim to set out the strategic objectives and operational priorities for the HA to meet the needs of changing demand.
"After intense clinical input as well as extensive engagement by multi-disciplinary professionals and consultation with key stakeholders, the Taskforce formulated the Plan which sets a new direction for mental health services to move towards the provision of a person-centred service basing on effective treatment and recovery of the individual. The emphasis is on early intervention and assertive treatment, particularly for those at risk of relapse and hospitalisation," said HA Director (Cluster Services), Dr Cheung Wai-lun, at the press conference today.
Under the new service direction, patients with severe or complex mental health needs will be provided with co-ordinated multi-disciplinary specialist care in appropriate hospital settings. For patients with less severe or less complex needs, including those with common mental disorders, they will receive specialist-supported care in the community including primary care settings.
"The Plan recommends six long-term strategic objectives to realise the new service direction. They include developing a quality and outcomes-driven mental health service; early identification and management of mental illness; management of common mental disorders in primary care settings; expansion of community mental health teams; refocusing in-patient and out-patient hospital services as new therapeutic environments; and seeking greater collaboration with disability support and rehabilitation providers outside the HA," he said.
Dr Cheung also remarked that, "The Plan acknowledges the need of a robust workforce to deliver the service plan recommendations. Appropriate support will also be provided to patients, carers and families in a timely and accessible manner."
On further enhancement of mental health services in the coming year (2011-12), with additional funding allocation from the Government in line with the recommendations of the mental health service plan, Dr Cheung said, "The HA plans to implement a number of mental health programmes in 2011-12. These programmes include rolling out the case management programme in five more districts; setting up crisis intervention teams to provide prompt support for high risk mental patients and to respond to crisis situations involving other mental patients in the community; extension of the Integrated Mental Health Programme (IMHP) in primary care setting for patients with common mental disorders; expansion of the Early Assessment and Detection of Young Persons with Psychosis (EASY) Programme to cover adult patients with early psychosis; extension of psychogeriatric outreach service; and enhancement of child and adolescent psychiatric service through multidisciplinary teams."
The Hospital Authority Mental Health Service Plan for Adults 2010-2015 (English version only) has been uploaded to HA website www.ha.org.hk/gallery .
Ends/Thursday, March 24, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:29
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