This is a press release from the Department of Health.
Health Minister Robin Swann has published the Mental Health Action Plan as part of his commitment to improve the mental health of the population in Northern Ireland.
The Action Plan contains 38 actions, including a commitment to produce a mental health strategy, which will include a comprehensive funding plan for mental health. There is also a plan on dealing with the response to the Covid-19 crisis.
The Minister said: “Since taking up post as Minister for Health, I have been very clear that mental health is a priority for me. The Mental Health Action Plan is the first in a series of steps I will take to ensure those suffering from mental ill health will be able to access the services they need, when they need them. The importance of this has been brought into sharp focus during these unprecedented times, when the mental health of the population is suffering as a result of the devastating impact of Covid-19. That is why the Action Plan includes a dedicated Covid-19 response plan which outlines the psychological wellbeing and mental health response to the current pandemic.”
The Minister outlined other commitments within the Action Plan. He said: “I am delighted to announce specialist perinatal mental health services, the development of managed care networks for child and adolescent mental health services and forensic mental health services. In addition there will be further support for mental health in primary care.”
The plan creates clear linkages with other mental health improvement work including the Inter-Departmental action plan in response to NICCY’s Still Waiting report. It prepares the way for a new mental health strategy by evaluating existing policies and creating new governance structures to aid the delivery of a new strategy.
In conclusion the Minister thanked the stakeholders who played a part in developing the Plan. He said: “The Action Plan will provide a common focus and direction for the development of mental health services, while also delivering key improvements to services needed right now. It will put the foundations in place for the longer term, strategic improvements which will be set out in the new Mental Health Strategy, which I will publish by the end of the year.”
Notes to editors:
- The Mental Health Action Plan is available on the Department’s website at: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/mental-health-action-plan
- There are 38 actions in the Action Plan. The actions can be categorised into strategic work, co-production, service developments, reviews, governance and workforce.
- The most notable actions are the development of specialist perinatal mental health services, the creation of a mental health strategy, a review of suicide and homicide, a review of crisis services and the development of talking/psychological therapies hubs.
- The actions in the action plan are subject to the appropriate funds being made available to the Department.
- The Action Plan has been co-produced, with service users and carers heavily involved in its development. The Minister recognised the involvement of all stakeholders in the production of the Action Plan:
- The Department of Health will produce a ten year Mental Health Strategy Work is ongoing to put arrangements in place to facilitate stakeholder engagement and co-production of this strategic document.
- A dedicated DoH Covid-19 Emergency Mental Health Action Plan has been created and included in the Action Plan to outline the psychological and mental health response to the pandemic.
- For media enquiries please contact DoH Press Office by email: pressoffice@health-ni.gov.uk. Out of hours please contact the Duty Press Officer on 028 9037 8110.
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