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More staff, services, new technologies and drug treatments:

Additional funds set to improve health and social care

Northern Ireland is set to benefit from a significant package of measures to help people who need treatment and support for mental health and learning disability, cancer, heart disease and stroke and chronic disease.

Because of additional funding secured for health and social care there will be a major increase in the numbers of professional staff to take forward service developments and more investment in new technologies and new drug treatments to help people live more healthy and independent lives.

Resources for new service developments over the next three years have doubled from £145million in the draft budget to £300million, and provision for associated capital development has increased by 30 per cent compared to the previous three years.

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said: “Mental health and learning disability services have been my first priority. The funding I have received will allow me to make real progress with the Bamford recommendations. As well as doubling the numbers of long–stay mental health and learning disability patients to be resettled in the community, there will be a considerable increase in the numbers of community–based staff and in the number of respite places. This will make a real and lasting difference to patients, carers and families in an area which has too long been neglected and underfunded.

“Other key areas which will see significant improvements include cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke, children’s services, screening programme and the management of chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.”

For example, additional money of almost £80 million over the next three years will mean significant improvement to numbers of community–based staff, increased respite care to support carers and families. Suicide has also been a major priority and additional resources will find a 24/7 regional helpline and support programmes. Improvements to mental health will include:

• over 200 additional staff in community mental health teams,

• resettlement of around 150 long–stay hospital patients [70 mental health patients and 80 learning disabled patients],

• provision of a 24/7 suicide helpline,

• no children living in a disability hospital by 2009,

• establishment of an eating disorder unit,

• improved access to psychotherapies ensuring a maximum 13 weeks wait,

• develop services for people with personality disorders by setting–up teams in each of the five health and social care trusts,

• improved provision for autism,

• increased availability of respite care,

• new state of the art mental health care centre at Craigavon,

• a Regional Adolescent Psychiatric Unit at Forster Green,

• a new mental health facility at Gransha.

For further information visit the Northern Ireland Executive website at: www.northernireland.gov.uk.

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