Evaluation of the Fifth National Mental Health Plan of the Australian Government

Health policy 1
Health policy in global context

Health policy 2
Introduction:
Health system of Australia is the combination of funding giving by Federal and State
government, and it is also the responsibility of both the governments. This combination creates
difficulties for the patients to navigate. Instead of its complexity, universal health system of
Australia achieves good outcomes in effective manner. It must be noted that, expenditures
related to the health in Australia is almost same as the OECD average, at 8.8% of GDP. In
Australia, life expectancy at birth is the 6th highest in the OECD, at 82.2 years. In context of
meeting the challenge of rising mental diseases, Australia needs to reduce their health system
fragmentation in terms of improving the co-ordination while taking care of the patients (OECD,
2015).
The Fifth National Mental Health Plan (Fifth Plan) is developed by the Australian Health
Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC) Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Principal Committee
(MHDAPC). The policy of the health department reflects the nationality agreed priority areas
and actions for the next five years in terms of achieving the integrated system of mental health.
This policy mainly builds on the foundation which is set by almost four previous National
Mental Health Plans, and also by previous state and territory mental health and suicide
prevention plans, and national health and mental health reform efforts. A national consultation
process in terms of developing the Fifth Plan will initiate in November 2016 (Department of
Health, 2012a).
The main aim of this assignment is to critically evaluate the Fifth National Mental Health
Plan of the Australia government. Structure of this assignment includes the comprehensive
overview of issues, policy formulation process, evaluation of implementation planning process,
impact line of the policy in context of any other similar policy, and strengths and weakness of the
policy. At the end, brief conclusion is stated to conclude the paper.
Overview of Issue
The actual issue in context of this policy is the preferment of the mental health and well-
being of the community of Australia, and provide these health services to all the community
members in equitable manner in context of preventing the development of the issues related to
health and mental illness. This policy mainly aims to decrease the effect of mental health issue
and mental illness, which further includes the stigma effect on the individuals, families, and
whole community. This policy also focuses on the promotion of the recovery from mental health
issues and mental illness. It also deal with one more issue that is assurance of the rights of people
related to the mental health problems, and also enable them in participating in the society in
meaningful manner (Department of Health, 2015).
Various stakeholders are there which relate to this process that are patients, government
organizations, non-government organizations, community groups, etc (WHO, no date).

Health policy 3
Generally, these stakeholders are categorized into four groups and the interest and influence of
these groups are stated below-
 First and most important group is the group of patients and community member, because
these are the one who get directly affected by the policy framed by the health ministry.
Influence of this group and related interest of this group related to the policy is high. As
policy makers hold the fiduciary duty towards this group to ensure their advantages from
the policy, because they are the one for whom policy is framed.
 Providers are another group of stakeholders who also directly affects the policy, because
they are the one who are responsible to give the services to the patients and other
members of community. In other words, they are responsible to give health care services
in terms of patients and preserve the information related to them.
 Third group of stakeholders operationalize the financial elements of the framework
related to the policy and this group known as the payors. In this policy they are
responsible to enrol the patients as the beneficiaries. They do not have that much
influence on the policy framed by the policymakers.
 Policy makers are another group which is responsible to establish the framework through
which health care is given to the citizens of the country. This is the jurisdictional entity,
as in this policy it is the ministry of health (pressbooks, no date).
It must be noted that, the actual purpose of this policy developed at both national and
state level. While formulating this policy, makers recognize the range between the mental health,
issues related to mental health, and mental illness. There are number of people which experience
the matters related to the mental illness that mainly require the treatment related to clinical and
also the services given to the community. There are number of other people which mainly face
the emotional and mental health issues which directly affect their ability in fulfilling their social
obligations and also require particular services to helping them in overcoming with this issue.
Those people who are at risk because of the developing mental health issue and mental illness
can get the advantage of prevention and early intervention activities. On the other hand,
community awareness in context of the efforts related to mental health promotion mainly reduces
the stigma and discrimination (Department of Health, 2012b).
Evaluation of Formulation process and resultant policy
The commission mainly focus on giving the robust reason to reshape, readdress,
rebalance, and repackage the method related to mental health, and further reflect the risk related
to the status quo. Formulation process of this strategy mainly addresses the fundamental change
in the manner in which all these mental health programs and services are distributed. This shift
mainly involves following aspects-