The Royal Commission should not be dismissed as “just another review”. We know about the pressure on emergency departments, police and ambulance services.

We know that there are too few services for Victorians between GPs and the acute hospital services and that many people are turned away. We know that many deaths are preventable. The scale of the challenges that we face in Victoria is enormous. But we have not yet defined the best model for the state that takes into account the needs of consumers, carers and families with the right balance of acute and preventative services.

A Royal Commission will help all of the stakeholders to define the best model of treatment, care, support, recovery and prevention for Victorians. Towards this end, earlier this year Mental Health Victoria established the Victorian Mental Health Policy Network which has brought together for the first time peak bodies representing doctors, psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists, police, ambulance, unions, housing services and others – and, most importantly, consumers, carers and families – to advocate for increased investment in mental health services and models that will deliver for all Victorians. It is clear there is an overwhelming desire for collaboration and change across the mental health sector.

Unlike past reviews, a Royal Commission should bind future governments into sustained, long-term reform and investment. We only have to look at the Royal Commission into family violence to understand just how profound the impact could be.

Historically, Victoria has underinvested in mental health. Despite some large recent commitments, access to services remains a serious issue for many Victorians living with mental health issues, their families and carers – particularly in rural areas. Independent analysis commissioned by Mental Health Victoria this year found we would need to raise spending by $543 million a year by 2022 just to bring Victoria into line with the national average for access to services.  

The impact of underinvestment is being felt in emergency departments, by police, ambulance and homelessness services, and in the justice system. Investing in mental health will reduce pressure on all of these.

A Royal Commission must not halt the recent trend of increased funding for mental health. Whoever forms the next government should allocate large additional interim funding in before the commission hands down its findings, particularly in the areas of community mental health and suicide prevention. Victorians cannot afford to wait.

We should not forget that the Commonwealth has a critical role to play, as the mental health system is made up of Victorian Government and Commonwealth-funded services. A key area of concern is the gap between Medicare funded services such as GPs and the state funded hospital system. This “missing middle" means that many Victorians have few options but to present at hospital emergency departments or suffer alone. We must do everything we can to prevent Victorians getting so unwell that they need to go to hospital – this means making services available in every community. The Commonwealth should dig deep to help all of the states and territories expand prevention and recovery services in the community. This will save lives.

The timing of the Royal Commission could not be better given that the Productivity Commission is about to kick off a long-overdue review of the economics of mental health in Australia. The PC review will take into account the broader impacts of mental illness across the entire Australian economy on things such as workforce participation, education, productivity, justice, housing and lost production.The PC findings will provide useful context, economic analysis and national comparative data that will no doubt help shape the recommendations for reform and investment in Victoria.

This is the circuit breaker we need. Mental Health Victoria urges all parties to support a Royal Commission and ensure regardless of the outcome of the election, Victorians can be confident that reform, investment and much-needed services will be on the way.

Angus Clelland is chief executive of Mental Health Victoria.