Responding to a new strategic plan for health and social care launched by health minister, Mike Nesbitt:
Dr Julie Anderson, chair of RCPsych in NI, said: “While the launch of this plan has some good news for health and social care - we must not be complacent.
“It’s really disappointing to see mental health be given such a small section, given the fact we currently have a Mental Health workforce crisis on our hands.
“We’ve had no increase in psychiatry training places in NI since 2007 which is in stark contrast to significant increases across the UK.
“Although the minister mentions investment through commissioning post registration training, we need assurances that we will see a commitment to increasing psychiatry training places.
“We also need the Department of Health to prioritise a recruitment campaign to attract consultants and SAS doctors to Northern Ireland to keep up with an ever-increasing demand in services.
“These measures would not only benefit our patients but the mental health workforce who are already significant pressure.
“The situation is beyond crisis point and cannot be allowed to continue and that is why we ask that Mike Nesbitt looks at the plan again in terms of the mental health needs of people across NI.”
For further information, please contact:
- Email: northernireland@rcpsych.ac.uk
- Contact Name: RCPsych in Northern Ireland
- Twitter: @rcpsychni