To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) the average and longest waiting times for an initial mental health assessment; (ii) the total number of people currently waiting; and (iii) any assessment that has been made of regional variation in access to these services, over the last 12 months, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.

Source: HSC Trust Returns to SPPG Business Analytics Team

Please note the following.

1. The information above relates to active waits at each month end position.

2. As part of the Encompass roll-out, all Trusts have now gone live with a new electronic patient record system. As these Trusts continue to transition to completely digitised records, their data is undergoing extensive validation. Until this process is complete, there may be gaps in the data they are able to submit for reporting purposes, and the information supplied in this response may be subject to change.

3. The information above is management information only, and not for publication.

4.Belfast HSC Trust data is undergoing extensive validation and is excluded from the information presented above.

Article 10A of the Health and Social Care Act (NI) 2022 provides for Health and Social Care Trusts to be directly responsible for social care and children’s functions, under Directed Statutory Functions by the Department of Health. The Strategic Planning and Performance Group has responsibility for the professional oversight, governance, performance management and accountability, and strategic oversight of Trusts, in relation to the exercise of social care and children’s statutory functions.

Trusts also have robust governance arrangements in place to ensure mental health services meet expected standards in terms of support for families and carers, in line with the expressed wishes of patients. Clinical governance frameworks operate across corporate, divisional, and team levels, ensuring that Trust Boards are sighted on areas of underperformance and risk accordingly.

Collectively, these arrangements ensure ongoing oversight of service delivery and support continuous improvement in access, safety, and quality of care.