The Government will set up an advisory committee on mental health in the second quarter of this year.
The committee's establishment was one of the 40 recommendations put forward in a report released today by the Review Committee on Mental Health.
The review committee was set up by the Food & Health Bureau in 2013 to inspect mental health services.
The report suggests the development of a long-term strategy for mental health promotion, the provision of more support for dementia sufferers, the promotion of the use of innovative technology to facilitate the delivery of mental health services, the review of the conditional discharge mechanism under the Mental Health Ordinance, and an increase in manpower at Siu Lam Hospital.
Secretary for Food & Health Dr Ko Wing-man who chaired the review committee said the Government recognises mental health goes beyond medical care.
"The Government adopts an integrated, cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approach towards mental health, and it is the Government's policy direction to encourage community support and ambulatory services, coupled with necessary and essential institutionalised services, so as to build a mental-health friendly society, facilitating re-integration into the community."
The Hospital Authority’s mental health budget increased by almost 40% from $3.4 billion in 2011-12 to $4.7 billion in 2016-17.
An additional recurrent funding of $73 million will be allocated to the authority in 2017-18 to enhance mental health services.
Click here for the full report.
