It is so underfunded that people who do not have private health (sometimes this is a cash cow for the facility) have to go through the public system, which is a disgrace – all it comes down to is money. 

I would like to see a politician’s sibling affected by a mental illness and then we may see a change.

 As for a majority of doctors, they will find a mentally impaired person too hard to handle and they will pass the buck, as I have found out personally over a long period of time.

We do need an up-to-date facility in the Bendigo region to cater for sufferers, with good, understanding professionals who do not treat the sufferer like a second-rate citizen. 

I could write a book about people and facilities that I have seen over the 30 years my partner has suffered with the debilitating – and often frustrated – system that is run in this country. 

I have worked out over the years that all the facilities and professionals want is money.