Health Minister Andrew Little has launched a major recruitment drive for mental health nurses as the Government faces increasing scrutiny in the sector. 

A major report released today from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission found despite "significant investment" since 2019, few improvements had been seen in the sector. 

Little today launched a campaign to recruit mental health nurses and meet with the nurses that feature in the campaign at Middlemore Hospital before speaking to media around 11.45am. 

This year the Government has funded 234 new-entry places for registered nurses to specialise in mental health, Little said, and he hoped the "You're Ready" campaign could help double that number. 

"It aims to encourage more nursing graduates into mental health and addiction roles, increase the number of Māori and Pacific people working in this area, and bring former nurses back into the profession," Little said. 

The two-year campaign features real nurses who work in mental health and addiction who help people through some of their toughest times, he said. 

"These mental health professionals want to encourage others to take up these rewarding roles and to do the same. 

"The mental health and addiction workforce do an incredible job and we know the pressure on them is increasing. The awareness of mental wellbeing issues has grown and so too has the demand for specialist services." 

This initiative is funded from the $77 million workforce development fund, part of the 2019 Wellbeing Budget, Little said. 

Little is also likely to face questions about the wider mental health strategy, the Commission's report and Covid-19. 

Middlemore Hospital is bearing the brunt of the Omicron outbreak – as of yesterday, it had 221 Covid-19 patients, more than any other hospital. 

Later today Little is also scheduled to launch a new app with mental health advocate Sir John Kirwan, designed to support adults managing their mental health. 

A stocktake on progress of the mental health programme in September found there had been advancement in many areas, but the delivery of new mental health and addition units was an issue and more focus was also needed on growing and retaining a suitably qualified workforce. 

Little voiced frustration about the slow pace with which parts of the $1.9 billion mental health package announced in 2019 was being rolled out – in particular the $235m set aside for building new mental health and addiction facilities. After that, steps were put in place to try to fast-track some of those measures. 

Last year the Government set out a 10-year mental health plan outlining the short-, medium- and long-term steps in areas such as technology and the workforce. However, it was criticised for a lack of specific milestones or targets. 

Little also set up an external oversight group, chaired by Professor Judy McGregor, to keep an eye on the progress of that plan. 

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission's latest report found despite the 2019 Wellbeing Budget, improvements in services "have not materialised as we had hoped for over this time", Commission Board chair Hayden Wano said. 

"We commend the investment in additional, and much needed, primary and community services, but more is needed to address pressures on specialist services, particularly for young people." 

The current health reforms, including Health NZ and Māori Health Authority, provided opportunities for improvements, Wano said. 

"This also creates an opportunity to hear the voices of Māori and people with lived experience and provide a greater choice of supports." 

On the positive, services had been maintained through the pandemic and public health services and community-based organisations were collaborating. 

"Enormous effort is going on to effect changes like this, which we believe will ultimately pay huge dividends in service improvement."