The PSNI were called to assist staff at inpatient mental health units in the Western Trust on 189 occasions in a single year.
The figure represented 78% of all requests for PSNI assistance to mental health units in Northern Ireland in 2025/26.
The data published by Health minister Mike Nesbitt in response to an Assembly Question showed significantly higher numbers of ‘serious’ incidents and calls to police from the Western Trust than all other health trusts in the north.
The health trust, which has two acute mental health facilities in Derry and Omagh, has attributed the significant numbers of serious incidents to a “strong reporting culture” it promotes.
The figures released by the Health minister show that of the 241 requests for the PSNI to assist at inpatient units in 2025/26, 189 of those came from the Western Trust.
With regards to “serious incidents” recorded at mental health units, of the 519 recorded in Northern Ireland in the last year, 442 (85%) of those were in Western Trust facilities. The Belfast Trust and the Southern Trust each recorded just three serious incidents.
Serious incidents were defined as violence and aggression incidents recorded on the regional patient safety reporting system that were assigned a severity grading of moderate, major or catastrophic.
SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan says the figures “raise serious questions” about the pressure facing mental health services in the west.
“The number of incidents recorded in the Western Trust and the sharp rise in requests for PSNI assistance raise serious questions about the pressures facing mental health services in the area,” he said.
“The minister must establish what is driving these trends and ensure staff have the resources, training and staffing levels needed to keep both themselves and patients safe.”
A spokesperson for the Western Trust said it was “committed to providing a safe environment for patients, staff and visitors across all of its mental health inpatient facilities”.
“Differences in reported activity between Trusts can be influenced by a range of factors, including service configuration, bed capacity, patient acuity, the complexity of patient need and local reporting practices,” the spokesperson said.
“The Western Trust actively promotes a strong reporting culture within its mental health services and encourages staff to report all incidents and near misses. This enables the early identification of trends, supports learning and helps ensure appropriate action is taken to improve the safety of both patients and staff.
“The Trust also works closely with the PSNI and partner agencies where their involvement is required to help manage risk and maintain safety.”