Phil Grady: Health NZ National Director for Mental Health and Addictions on the 'scathing' report into Canterbury mental health services

Health New Zealand is apologising after significant failings led to two murders in Canterbury.

An urgent Ministry review was ordered after an on-leave Hillmorton Hospital in-patient killed Laisa Tunidau as she walked home from work in 2022. 

During the review - a patient gardening for 83-year-old Frances 'Faye' Phelps, killed her in her home.

Health NZ National Director for Mental Health and Addictions Phil Grady says they accept the failings identified in the report.

"There is an international challenge in recruiting mental health staff, they are the key engine for operating mental health services. We're focusing really hard on the country, but also on Canterbury."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A scathing report has found significant failings with Canterbury mental
health services. Two psychiatric patients have murdered innocent people in
the community on two separate occasions. You had the case
in twenty twenty two when the hill Morton Hospital in
patients stabbed a woman outside her christ Church home while
he was out on community release. And then you had
October last year or another one of the mental health patients,

(00:20):
Elliot Cameron, murdered Fay Phelps in her garden. Phil Grady
is the National Director of Mental Health Service and Addictions
at Health New Zealand. I fell, hey, Heather, Phil, why
did your staff ignore Elliot Cameron's own warnings that he
was going to kill again?

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Look, first and foremost, this is a tragic circumstance where
there has been two people killed in our community in Canterbury.
What I will say is that I can't talk about,
particularly around any findings related to Elliot Cameron because that
is part of a coronial inquiry.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
Hold on, well, hold on, well, Why does a coronial
inquiry prevent you from talking about it?

Speaker 2 (00:57):
Look, the crime has put a non publication order against
them the report. But what I will say report is
that the internal report that we did in that particular case.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
Okay, so he said you can't they have said that
you can't publish that. But have they said you can't
talk about this at all?

Speaker 2 (01:21):
So there is a you know, there's all of the
coronial requirements in relation to that. But what I can
talk about is I.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
Just wanted to just explain to me just before we
move on. Explain to me. Are you telling me that
because of a coroner's order you cannot talk about this
case at all?

Speaker 2 (01:41):
That That's why I'm telling you.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
Year carry on then as you were, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yes, so but look, today was released of the section
ninety nine report from doctor John Corsaw from the Ministry
of Health and look as Health New Zealand. Look, we
accept that the report has identifying favor in some of
the operation of the Canterbury Mental Health Service, except the
findings in full and certainly welcome doctor cores forward. Cool.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
So what you're telling me is you agree with what
he says. So what he says is that you guys
do not have enough staff. And what makes that even
worse is that even though you know you do not
have enough stuff, for some reason, management just don't say
yes to hiring more staff. What's going on?

Speaker 2 (02:26):
Yeah, Look so at the time October, sorry June and
twenty twenty two, there were staffing issues, particularly in the
forensic Mental Health service. But what I want to say
to you is that the staffing of that service has increased,
so there are more staff on the ground running that service.
In fact, there are eleven percent more staff in that service,
six percent more staff in the whole iron increases in

(02:49):
the whole of Canterbury mental health services. Have you got
enough round more staff on the ground. Look, there is
that international challenges in recruiting mental health staff. They are
a key engine for operating a mental health services, a
service we're focusing really hard as a country, but also
in Canterbry around recruiting more psychiatrists and increasing that pipeline

(03:13):
and that we can always use more staff.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
Okay, now listen, I think what we all want to
know about is the case obviously of Valiot Cameron and
faith Helps. So do you know when this publication order
is going to be lifted or when the coronial inquiry
is actually happening?

Speaker 2 (03:27):
Look that the colonial inquirement. We know the coronial inquiry
process takes time, and I think hither behind your what
question is? I think there's questions around why this happened
and you know what learning there can be from it,
but I just can't talk about it and the coronial
process will work through. It's work through the coroner's process,

(03:48):
all right.

Speaker 1 (03:48):
Phil, listen, thanks very much, look forward to hearing what
they've got to say at the coronial end. Phil Grady,
National Director of the Mental Health and Addictions Service in
Health New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
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