AQW 50142/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) the number of referrals for adult mental health assessment that were received; and (ii) the proportion of which that were assessed within his Department’s target timeframe, in each of the last five years, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.
Asked by Danny Donnelly MLA on 1 July 2026
- Answered
- Written
- After due date
- Tabled
- 1 July 2026
- Answer due by
- 20 July 2026
- Answered
- 31 July 202630 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Referrals received by Adult Mental Health Services, by HSC Trusts - 2021/22 to 2025/26
| Health and Social Care Trust | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 |
| Belfast | 12,559 | 13,208 | 14,445 | 2,294* | - |
| Northern | - | 1931* | 11,001 | 6,285* | - |
| South Eastern | 18,024 | 17,165 | 11,029* | - | - |
| Southern | 6,680 | 8,913 | 9,686 | 10,981 | - |
| Western | 9,333 | 9,719 | 9,886 | 10,365 | 748* |
Source Manual HSC Trust returns
Caveats and explanatory notes relating to the information presented within the table are provided below. Figures denoted by an asterisk (*) relate to part-year data only.
Please note that the information presented in this response is management information and not intended for publication.
Belfast HSC Trust: A total of 2,294* referrals were reported for the two-month period of April 24 and May 24. Data for the period June 2024 to March 2026 is unavailable due to the implementation of Encompass.
Northern HSC Trust: Data for the period March 2021 to January 2023 is unavailable due to issues encountered during the migration from EPEX to PARIS. A total of 1,931 referrals was reported for the two-month period of February 23 and March 23. A figure of 6,285* was reported for the period April 24 - October 24. Data for November 24 to March 26 is unavailable due to the implementation of Encompass.
South-Eastern HSC Trust: A total figure of 11,029* was reported for the period April 23-October 23. Data for the period November 23 to March 26 is unavailable due to the implementation of Encompass.
Southern HSC Trust: Data for the period April 25 to March 26 is unavailable due to the implementation of Encompass.
Western HSC Trust: A figure of 748* was reported for the single month of April 25. Data for the period May 25 to March 26 is unavailable due to the implementation of Encompass.
As part of the Encompass roll-out, all Trusts have now gone live with a new electronic patient record system. However, as the Trusts continue to transition to completely digitised records, their data is undergoing extensive validation and as this process continues, there are gaps in the data that Trusts have been able to submit for monitoring purposes.
The Strategic Planning and Performance Group does not hold this information and is therefore unable to provide it.