The mental health nurse recruitment boost is funded by the Mental Health Levy. Photo: Alvaro Gonzalez.
The Crisafulli Government in Queensland is delivering on an election promise to act on mental health issues in the state, with mental health nurses providing faster access to care in emergency departments.
Redcliffe, Redland and Hervey Bay Hospitals are the first to recruit specialist emergency department mental health nurses as part of an investment from the Mental Health Levy worth $93.1 million.
In addition to those three hospitals, recruitment has also begun at hospitals in Nambour, Cairns, Bundaberg, Caboolture and Rockhampton.
More hospitals are set to benefit from the recruitment boost in the coming months.
These new nursing roles build on the additional 10,000 health workers employed in the state’s public hospitals and health services since 2024.
This milestone was part of the government’s election commitment to add 46,000 health workers by 2032.
The initial investment of $93.1 million for the rollout is backed by an annual allocation of $28.5 million to ensure Queenslanders continue to benefit from specialist assessment, coordinated care and better access to mental health support.
This outlay is part of the government’s additional $394.4 million from the Mental Health Levy to deliver mental health care and drug and alcohol services.
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls recently said the Crisafulli Government had guaranteed that all funds from the levy would be spent on mental health projects.
“We will ensure that every single cent raised by the levy is spent on mental health projects and initiatives, just like these new specialist nurse positions,” Mr Nicholls said.
“Arriving at an emergency department for mental health support can be an extremely stressful situation for a patient.
“These new specialist nurses will play a critical role in ensuring people experiencing mental health concerns are assessed promptly and are connected to the most appropriate care pathway as early as possible.”
