Too many Nova Scotians still can’t access mental health care when they need it: NSNDP

HALIFAX –Today, NSNDP Mental Health and Addictions Critic Lisa Lachance made the following statement about the Auditor General’s report on mental health and addictions services:

“When someone reaches out for help, they shouldn’t be left waiting weeks or months for care. If people can’t get mental health and addictions services when they need them, holding down a job can become difficult, everyday tasks can become overwhelming and families watch helplessly as their loved ones fight addiction.

Five years after promising universal mental health care, Nova Scotians are still waiting to access mental health and addictions services. The Houston government still hasn’t even set standards for what universal access to mental health care actually means, and doesn’t keep a comprehensive list of the mental health and addictions services currently in the province. This government can’t fix health care if they don’t know what care is needed or actually being delivered.

As more and more people lose trust in this government, the very least Nova Scotians should be able to expect is honesty about timelines and standards for accessing care. People suffering with mental health and addictions issues have a right to know when the health care they need will be there. Nova Scotians were promised mental health care regardless of their ability to pay, but this report makes it clear that promise is still far from reality.

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