Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has said he is “personally disappointed” that 80% of Stormont’s mental health strategy is now set to be shelved indefinitely due to no funding.
His comments come after the Department of Health published a review into the 2021 Mental Health Strategy four years into the project.
It found that just 16% of the almost £77 million in funding which was supposed to be invested in mental health services across the north by this point has actually been allocated.
A total of £12.3 million has been invested in mental health services so far as part of the £1.2 billion 10-year plan, which was supposed to transform Northern Ireland’s mental health services.
The review also found of the 35 actions outlined in the initial strategy, 15 have not begun at all due to lack of funds, with preparation work making up much of the spend on the actions that have managed to make it off the ground.
The report said: “The overall pace of implementation has been ‘disappointing,’ primarily focused on preparatory activities rather than tangible impact for service users.”
Far from the initial 35-action framework, the Department is now dramatically scaling back its ambitions for the coming years, scrapping the majority of its original targets and instead focusing on just seven priority areas.
This includes stabilising the workforce, creating a 24/7 crisis service for mental health emergencies and working to ensure that equal services are available in all areas.
The Department will also focus on providing better support for older people with mental health concerns, developing online and digital mental health tools, increasing funding for children and young people’s mental health services to 10% of the adult budget, and improving care for those with the most severe, long-term conditions such as schizophrenia.
These seven priorities represent just 20% of the original 35-action strategy, with the rest shelved indefinitely due to the funding gap.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said he was “personally disappointed” at the outcome.
“The financial constraints facing my department are well documented and, since the publication of the Mental Health Strategy in 2021, no additional funding has been allocated to support its delivery,“ he said.
“This presents a significant challenge and places considerable pressure on our ability to deliver to best effect and achieve the outcomes we know are needed.
“When the Mental Health Strategy was published, it was with a sense of optimism and purpose. I am personally disappointed that, halfway into the lifetime of the Strategy, it has been necessary for my Department to undertake a review of the deliverability of the Strategy’s Actions from 2026-2029. The purpose of doing so is to provide a focus and to prioritise in light of the funding constraints we face, whilst recognising that the Strategy in its entirety is still needed.
“This review does not represent a dilution of our commitment to delivering for mental health, but rather a sharpening of our focus to maximise impact within the resources available. Our ambition remains strong, but it must be focused.
“Mental health remains a personal priority for me. I have been clear that delivering the Strategy requires sustained and additional investment. I will continue to make that case until the ambition so clearly set out in 2021 is fully realised.”