Mental Health Strategy Delivery Plan 2026/27 published
Date published:
The Mental Health Strategy Delivery Plan for 2026/2027 has today been published by the Department of Health.
The plan sets out the programme of work being taken forward this financial year under the Strategy aimed at strengthening mental health services, improving outcomes for service users and ensuring the most effective use of resources.
It also details progress made against the commitments contained in the 2025/2026 annual delivery plan.
Health Minister Robbie Butler said: “Mental health has long been a priority of mine, therefore I recognise the importance of ensuring people in acute distress receive safe, timely and person-centered care.
“The financial constraints affecting my Department are well documented so we have prioritised activity under the Mental Health Strategy that will have the greatest immediate impact.
“This Delivery Plan provides a realistic and deliverable programme of work for 2026/27, maintaining momentum towards the long-term ambitions of the Mental Health Strategy while making the best use of existing resources.”
During 2026/27, delivery effort will be concentrated on the following four areas:
- Strengthening the mental health workforce, including the contribution of the community and voluntary sector;
- Progressing a regionally consistent Mental Health Crisis Service;
- Reducing inequity through greater regional consistency and collaboration; and
- Progressing low-cost and no-cost actions that maximise the impact of existing resources.
While these areas are being prioritised, implementation of the wider Mental Health Strategy continues, with progress taking place across a number of actions and associated activities.
These include:
- Publication of the Public Mental Health Action Plan 2026-2029 which sets out the work being taken forward to deliver Actions 1 and 2 of the Mental Health Strategy. The Public Mental Health Action Plan is focussed on promoting good mental health and emotional wellbeing and on preventing the onset of mental health problems or mental illness across the life course;
- Ongoing work to support a regionally consistent Mental Health Crisis Service, building on progress made in establishing key foundations during 2025/26;
- Ongoing investment in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), with further enhancements planned to improve access, capacity and outcomes for children and young people;
- Further implementation and expansion of the region-wide Perinatal Mental Health Service to strengthen support for women and families across Northern Ireland; and
- Continued enhancement of crisis and specialist mental health services, including services for people with personality disorders and eating disorders, building on progress achieved to date.
The Minister added: “Delivering the Mental Health Strategy in its entirety requires sustained and additional investment.
“My Department and I will continue to champion mental health until the Strategy’s ambitions are fully realised.”
Notes to editors:
Notes to Editors:
- The Mental Health Strategy 2021–2031 sets out the Department of Health's long-term vision for improving mental health and wellbeing across Northern Ireland. The Mental Health Strategy Delivery Plan 2026/27 builds on that vision by setting out the key activities that will be progressed during the year ahead. The plan can be read in full here.
- The Delivery Plan has been developed in the context of the current financial position and reflects the findings of the Review of the Deliverability of the Mental Health Strategy, published in October 2025. While reaffirming the Department's commitment to the ambitions of the ten-year Strategy, the Review identified the need to focus delivery effort on those areas where the greatest progress can be achieved within available resources.
- Development of the Delivery Plan has been informed by stakeholder engagement undertaken in April 2026. Representatives from across Health and Social Care, the Community and Voluntary sector, primary care and wider partner organisations helped identify where delivery effort should be focused during the coming year.
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