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Wait time measures for mental health and addiction services. Key performance indicator literature review – November 2022

Published February 8, 2023.

Long wait times are a barrier to accessing mental health and addiction services. Timely access to mental health and addiction support is important for all tāngata whai ora (people seeking wellness). He Ara Oranga (Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction, 2018), the Ministry of Health (2012), and the Health Quality and Safety Commission (2021) have identified reducing wait times as a priority to increase accessibility for all people experiencing mental health challenges and problematic substance use.

This review summarises evidence on the rationale for wait times indicators and looks at measures used internationally. It specifically looks at the impact of wait times, strategies to reduce wait times, and wait time measures and data across populations in Aotearoa New Zealand and other International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL) countries.

Click here to read the report.

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