Status: Partially delivered and in progress
What the Royal Commission said
The Royal Commission recommends that the Victorian Government:
- Establish a process for assessing the Victorian population's need for mental health and wellbeing services.
- Develop and publish a statewide mental health and wellbeing service and capital plan, and eight regional mental health and wellbeing service and capital plans, by the end of 2022. The remainder of the plans would need to be completed by the end of 2023.
- Update the statewide mental health and wellbeing service and capital plan every three years.
- By no later than the end of 2026, empower Regional Mental Health and Wellbeing Boards to update regional mental health and wellbeing service and capital plans every three years.
What we've achieved
Statewide Mental Health and Wellbeing Service and Capital Plan
- The Statewide Mental Health and Wellbeing Service and Capital Plan 2024-37 has been released to guide government and sector decisions in planning for future mental health and wellbeing services.
- The Plan guides and supports government and sector decisions about future mental health and wellbeing services. This includes opportunities to develop and expand new models of care such as Hospital in the Home, intensive community care and supported housing.
- It is a first for Victoria and offers a new approach to planning which will drive transformation of the mental health system in the medium to long term.
- The new approach to service and capital planning will be ongoing and dynamic with the Statewide Plan to be updated every five years, enabling timely updates in demand growth estimations.
What's next?
Regional planning
- Local Health Service Networks (LHSNs) were established in July 2025. LHSNs are responsible for supporting collaborative care for their community, as close to home as possible. LHSNs have commenced clinical service planning, including hospital-based mental health and wellbeing services to improve access and support coordinated care for those who experience mental ill-health.
- Each Network will develop a Regional Mental Health and Wellbeing Collaboration Plan to improve access to services and strengthen transitions between primary, community and acute care. While Networks are being implemented, work to establish Regional Mental Health and Wellbeing Boards has been paused to ensure future planning reflects this new structure.
Updated