Primary Health Network chief executive Richard Nankervis said Hunter Primary Care would use the funding to help people for whom clinical care was insufficient to help them build capacity for daily living. A key aim of the funding was to fill an "identified gap" in the system.

“The funding will assist those people who are not eligible for the NDIS due to the episodic nature of their illness, but do experience periods of reduced psychosocial functioning related to a mental health condition” he said. “We know that some people experience fluctuating periods of severe mental ill health... and during these periods their daily functioning will be impacted. People with a severe mental health condition often need to access a wide range of services including housing, social security and health and to do so when they are in crisis is challenging."