New figures show big rises in crisis mental health referrals at many of the country's hospitals, and some health workers are describing it as dangerous. Nine to Noon speaks to Andy Colwell, a mental health worker in the Auckland region who is co-convenor of the PSA's Mental Health committee and Professor Max Abbot - Dean of health sciences at AUT and member of the Waitemata DHB Board of Directors.
Source: Figures released under the Official Information Act from the respective DHBs. Some DHBs could not supply useable data.
NOTE: In 2014/15 ADHB changed the way it categorised crisis referrals which means the 2015 figure is not directly comparable with previous years
