Contracting for community mental health care in New Zealand 1990-1996

Abstract

During the 1990-6 period there were a number of developments in the delivery of community mental health services by independent providers. One of these was the introduction of Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) and the new forms of contracting associated with this. Factors other than contracting also had an impact. These included changes at a government level such as deinstitutionalisation, and changes in legislation and in the activities of non-health sector government agencies. There were also changes at the level of service delivery, where providers developed new services and undertook new initiatives. Similarly, the consumer movement grew in strength over this period and had an impact on both government purchasing and service providers' means of delivery. The focus of this research is on the impact of the forms of contracting introduced by the Regional Health Authorities on the delivery of community mental health services. Some limited attention will also be given to other factors where appropriate.