AQW 14268/17-22

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 08/02/2021
Answered On Date: 26/03/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, pursuant to AQW 9419/17-22, whether additional funding will be made available during the current financial year to help mental health services, including eating disorder services, to respond to demand arising from the ongoing pandemic.

Answer:

I refer to my response to AQO 1071/17-22 which provides details of additional funding that my Department has made available for mental health services in 2020/21. No further additional funding is available in this financial year.

At the start of the pandemic arrangements were put in place to mitigate and address the impact of Covid-19. The Mental Health Action Plan which was published on 19 May included a dedicated Covid-19 Mental Health Response Plan. This plan set out the mental health response to the pandemic and outlined specific actions, such as:

the development of an online apps library to help and support self-help;

provision of free Stress Control classes online;

rollout of psychological first aid training to staff and volunteers on the front line;

a range of other online resources to support staff, children and young people, students joining the workforce early, and those bereaved during this time.