Emergency mental health services

Why this is important

Mental illness has a profound impact on the wellbeing, safety and social participation of many Victorians. One in 5 Victorians experience mental illness each year. In 2023–24, over 92,000 people accessed mental health services and there were over 110,000 emergency department presentations for mental health concerns. 

Emergency mental health services should be accessible, effective and responsive to the needs of people in crisis, regardless of where they live. But the Department of Health reported that in the last quarter of 2024–25, only 40 per cent of inpatients in metropolitan emergency departments were able to access a mental health bed within 8 hours of their arrival, compared with 50 per cent of inpatients in rural hospitals.

Despite significant government investment and reforms following the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, the department consistently underperforms on key targets, such as timely transfer to mental health beds. These issues disproportionately affect groups experiencing disadvantage, including First Nations people and people in remote areas.

What we plan to examine

We plan to examine if the Department of Health's emergency mental health services are timely and accessible for all Victorians experiencing poor mental health. This includes how the Department of Health and health services plan and allocate resources and evaluate services.

Who we plan to examine

Department of Health

A selection of health and mental health service providers

Further information

This engagement builds on our reports: 

Access to Emergency Healthcare (2024)

Access to Mental Health Services (2019).