AQW 49594/22-27


Mr Danny Donnelly
Alliance Party
East Antrim


Tabled Date: 25/06/2026
Answered On Date: 20/07/2026
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail how the Health and Social Care Reset Plan is intended to provide the overarching framework for reform, including whether it functions as a single integrated delivery plan, bringing together the Neighbourhood Model of Health and Wellbeing, the Regional Mental Health Service model, and the Mental Health Strategy 2021-2031 with shared outcomes, timelines and clear accountability for delivery.


Answer:
The delivery of the HSC Reset Plan, published in July 2025 is supported by an integrated programme approach. This programme provides a framework for the delivery of the various strands of the reset programme, to include Neighbourhood Health, Prevention and the broader work to support the shift from hospital to community, treatment to prevention, analogue to digital and people to partners. The programme is supported by a dedicated programme team, responsible for driving the collective outcomes of Reset and supporting strategic reform. The Department’s 2026/27 Strategic Business Plan, which is currently in the final stages of development, will outline the outcomes we will seek to achieve during the forthcoming year across the Reset Programme, with clear milestones and timelines for delivery.
In regards to work on mental health specifically, the Mental Health Strategy 2021-2031 (MHS), the Regional Mental Health Service (RMHS) and the Neighbourhood Model are not intended to operate as separate or parallel programmes. The RMHS supports implementation of the Mental Health Strategy by driving greater consistency, integration and collaboration across mental health services, while the Neighbourhood Model provides the overarching approach for delivering joined-up, community-focused care closer to home.
Action 31 of the Mental Health Strategy commits to the development of a RMHS to provide greater regional consistency in service delivery and development. The RMHS is focused on improving integration across the mental health system, strengthening coordination between providers, reducing unwarranted variation in provision and ensuring access to high-quality community-based support. This is being supported through regional and local collaborative structures that bring together statutory, community and voluntary sector partners to identify and address local mental health needs. The establishment of Area Mental Health Collaboratives across all HSC Trust areas is a key element of this approach. These collaboratives are designed to strengthen partnership working, improve care pathways and support earlier intervention within local communities.
On 31 March 2026, I published my Department’s vision for Neighbourhood Health and Wellbeing, designed to deliver more care closer to home, strengthening prevention, early intervention and integration across health, social care and the wider public sector. The policy framework provides a blueprint for how we are going to deliver on this huge change programme.
We plan to have 17 Integrated Neighbourhood Teams, bringing together Community Pharmacy, GPs and their Federations, Voluntary and Community organisations, HSC Trusts, independent providers, other statutory bodies and Local Government. These INTs will have a clear focus: identifying need earlier, improving access, preventing avoidable deterioration, and supporting people to stay well at home.
The structures established by the RMHS are fully aligned with the Neighbourhood Model and will allow the INT’s to plug into Local Collaboratives when mental health priorities arise within INTs and the Neighbourhood Model of Care.
Accountability for the implementation of the Mental Health Strategy remains within the Strategy's established governance arrangements, including Operational Delivery Board, Mental Health Strategy Strategic Reform Board and the Regional Collaborative Board for the RMHS.
Responsibility for the implementation of the Neighbourhood Model rests with the Department of Health and the wider Neighbourhood Programme governance arrangements. Mental health is not being implemented as a separate workstream but will be embedded across the neighbourhood approach.