Mental Health & Learning Disability Inpatients (2023/24)

The Department of Health today published statistics on inpatients and compulsory admissions in mental health and learning disability hospitals in Northern Ireland for the year ending 31st March 2024.

Encompass is a new electronic patient record system that will create a single digital care record for every citizen in Northern Ireland who receives health and social care. It aims to create better experiences for patients, service users and staff by bringing together information from various existing systems that do not currently communicate effectively.

The programme was first introduced in the South Eastern Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust on 9th November 2023 and will be rolled out on a phased basis across the remaining HSC Trusts in Northern Ireland by the end of 2025. Therefore, figures in the report for South Eastern HSC Trust sourced from the Encompass system are considered to be ‘official statistics in development’.

KEY POINTS

Mental Health

Mental Illness and Learning Disability Census

• On 17th February 2024, 600 patients were being treated as inpatients in mental health hospitals in Northern Ireland. Of these 600 patients, more than three quarters (466, 77.7%) had been resident in hospital for six months or less, whilst three (0.5%) patients had been resident for more than 10 years. (Table 1.2).
• Between 2020 and 2024, the number of patients being treated as inpatients in mental health hospitals decreased by 41 (6.4%), from 641 to 600 (Table 1.1).
• More than three fifths (390, 65.0%) of the 600 occupied beds in mental health hospitals on 17th February 2024 were ‘Acute’ beds (Table 1.3).

Compulsory Admissions

• During 2023/24, the highest number of compulsory admissions was recorded in the 18 to 44 years age group (467, 46.8%) (Table 1.5).

Learning Disability

Mental Illness and Learning Disability Census

• Between 2020 and 2024, the number of patients being treated as inpatients in learning disability hospitals decreased by 34 (43.0%), from 79 to 45 (Table 2.1).
• On 17th February 2024, 45 patients were being treated as inpatients in learning disability hospitals in Northern Ireland. Of these 45 patients, approximately one sixth (7, 15.6%) had been resident in hospital for six months or less, whilst 13 (28.9%) had been resident for more than 10 years (Table 2.2).
• More than a fifth (10, 22.2%) of the 45 occupied beds in learning disability hospitals were ‘Assessment and Treatment’ beds at 17th February 2024 (Table 2.3).

Compulsory Admissions

• Two thirds of compulsory admissions to learning disability hospitals in 2023/24 involved patients under 18 years old (6, 66.7%) (Table 2.5).

The information release is published on the Departmental website at:

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/topics/doh-statistics-and-research-mental-health-and-learning-disabilities/mental-health-and-learning-disability-statistics

Notes to editors: 

1. The information detailed in this publication is collected from the following statistical returns provided by HSC Trusts and Hospitals: KH15 & KH15b – Compulsory Admissions under the Mental Health (NI) Order 1986;

• KH16 – Admissions to Mental Health / Learning Disability Hospitals;
• KH17 – Number of Patients Receiving Electro-Convulsive Therapy; and,
• MILD Census – Inpatients resident in Mental Health / Learning Disability Hospitals on 17th February each year.

2. Historically this statistical information, including detailed commentary, was published as the ‘Hospital Statistics: Mental Health and Learning Disability’ publication. However, following a National Statistics Consultation in October 2015, it was agreed to discontinue this publication and replace it with a set of downloadable EXCEL data tables (no commentary).

3. The downloadable EXCEL tables present information on (i) compulsory admissions under the 1986 Mental Health (NI) Order and (ii) a census of mental illness and learning disability inpatients resident in hospital on 17 February.

4. Following the ‘Review of Mental Health Statistics in Northern Ireland’ by the Office for Statistics Regulation in 2021 (link below), Information & Analysis Directorate (IAD) developed an interactive Power BI dashboard to be published alongside the Mental Health & Learning Disability EXCEL tables, which provides a much more comprehensive and user friendly statistical publication of mental health and learning disability inpatient information.

https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/publication/review-of-mental-health-statistics-in-northern-ireland/

5. Information on inpatient, day case and consultant-led outpatient activity for the mental health and learning disability specialties, previously detailed in the ‘Hospital Statistics: Mental Health and Learning Disability’ publication, has already been published for 2023/24 in:

Hospital Statistics: Inpatient and Day Case Activity Statistics (2023/24)

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/hospital-statistics-inpatient-and-day-case-activity-202324

Hospital Statistics: Outpatient Activity Statistics (2023/24)

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/hospital-statistics-outpatient-activity-statistics-202324

6. All information has been validated with Health and Social Care Trusts, and incorporates all returns and amendments received up to 21st August 2024.

Further information on Mental Health and Learning Disability Statistics is available from:

Hospital Information Branch
Department of Health
Annexe 2, Castle Buildings
Stormont,
BT4 3SQ
Email: statistics@health-ni.gov.uk
Internet: DoH Statistics and Research

7. For media enquiries please contact the DoH Press Office by email pressoffice@health-ni.gov.uk.

8. Follow us on X @healthdpt and linkedIn Department of Health NI | LinkedIn

9. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service For Media Enquiries Only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

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