AQW 49595/22-27
Mr Danny Donnelly
Alliance Party
East Antrim
Tabled Date: 25/06/2026
Answered On Date: 29/07/2026
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) how (a) the Mental Health Strategy 2021-2031; (b) the Regional Mental Health Service model; and (c) the Neighbourhood Model of Health and Wellbeing, is being implemented as a single integrated system, rather than running in parallel; and (ii) who is accountable for ensuring mental health is fully embedded within the Neighbourhood Model of Health and Wellbeing.
Answer:
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. From April 2026, work is progressing across all four pillars of the model: Integrated Neighbourhood Teams Moving More Care Closer to Home Neighbourhood Digital Innovation, Intelligence and Evaluation Neighbourhood Relationships and Connections 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.
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