Wait times for beds at mental health hospitals finally trending downward

CONCORD - Today, Governor Chris Sununu and State officials released the following statements after a report from the National Alliance on Mental Illness New Hampshire showed the waitlist at New Hampshire Hospital has significantly decreased, which eases the burden on hospital emergency rooms and those who are waiting statewide.
"Rebuilding our mental health system has been a priority since day one," said Gov. Chris Sununu. "Last term we brought in a first-class team at New Hampshire Hospital and signed HB 400, which added more transitional housing beds. While there is still have a ways to go, we have worked hard to address this crisis because lives are at stake, and it's the right thing to do."

Statistics from the report compiled by the National Alliance on Mental Illness New Hampshire show that on June 29 the average number of adults waiting for admission to New Hampshire Hospital - the state's primary hospital for mental health - was 18 across the state, compared to 34 the previous quarter.

The number of children awaiting for the same timeframe went from eight in the last quarter to just one in the most recent.

"It has taken several years of hard work and bipartisan cooperation to get to the point that we have a declining waitlist at New Hampshire Hospital," said Senator Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro. "Creating a safe and effective system of care for mental health patients has been a top priority for myself and my Senate colleagues and I am pleased to have data showing that our efforts are paying off."

DHHS Commissioner Jeff Meyers said the numbers speak for themselves.

"The trend in these numbers is encouraging and a clear sign the work of the Governor, the Department, and other State leaders have undertaken in the last two and a half years are paying off," said Meyers. "While there is certainly more work to do, the recent signing of Senate Bill 11 and other efforts show that there is clearly a bipartisan commitment to providing the necessary resources and reforms to resolve the boarding crisis."

The Rochester Voice detailed the hardships facing local hospitals like Frisbie Memorial Hospital as a result of a scarcity of beds at New Hampshire Hospital in a three-part series on mental health issues that ran last year and was recognized for its excellence by the New Hampshire Press Association awards banquet in May. The series is available for review here.