Health & Social Care

An image of a figure with their hands over their face

Mental health and illness in Northern Ireland (3): Barriers to accessing mental health services and the role of the voluntary sector

by Dr Jennifer Betts
21st March 201731st March 2024

This is the third in a series of articles on mental health and illness in Northern Ireland. Following posts on the overall strategies for mental health and care pathways, this article focuses on barriers to accessing mental health services and highlights the role of the voluntary sector in delivering such services. A more detailed RaISe briefing on many of the issues is available.

Two masks illustrating contrasting states of mind (image: Pixabay)

Mental health and illness in Northern Ireland (2): Service provision, care pathways, recovery focus

by Janice.Thompson
21st March 201731st March 2024

This is the second in a series of articles regarding mental health and illness in Northern Ireland. Recently, we provided an overview of mental health strategy in Northern Ireland; here, we focus on service delivery for adults, for children and adolescents, and the importance of the ‘recovery’ focus of the model of care. A more detailed RaISe briefing on many of the issues is available.

Two masks illustrating contrasting states of mind (image: Pixabay)

Art therapy (image Save the Children under Creative Commons)

Allied Health Professions in Northern Ireland: Their role in reform of primary and community care

by Janice.Thompson
15th March 201731st March 2024

This article looks at the issues faced by Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) in Northern Ireland in supporting patients in primary and community care. It sets out the groups that make-up AHPs and examines how the role of AHPs could evolve in a changing healthcare landscape.

Mental health and illness in Northern Ireland (1): Overview – related strategy and reports

by Janice.Thompson
8th March 201731st March 2024

This article is the first in a series looking at mental health and illness in Northern Ireland, covering relevant reviews, policies, reports, services, treatments and access to these services. This blog post sets the scene and highlights key policies, strategies and action plans to date. A more detailed RaISe briefing on many of the issues is available.

Mental health and illness word cloud

Pharmacist assisting a customer (Creative Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pharmacist_assisting_a_customer_at_Terry_White_Chemists.jpg)

Northern Ireland’s health crisis: can pharmacists relieve the pressure on GPs?

by Dr Jennifer Betts
6th March 201731st March 2024

The growing pressure on primary healthcare services is reported in the media on an almost daily basis – a key reason being that people are living longer, often with chronic and complex healthcare needs. This article looks at how an enhanced role for community pharmacists in health promotion and medicine management is intended to help deliver the vision for healthcare delivery in Northern Ireland over the next ten years.

Breastfeeding welcome here?

by Dr Jennifer Betts
16th January 201731st March 2024

Breastfeeding in public is often a topic for debate. Although a very personal decision for parents, breastfeeding in public spaces is viewed as a social issue with divided opinions. This article looks at the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and babies versus the influence social attitudes can have, and asks if attitudes towards breastfeeding in public places in Northern Ireland are changing.

Blue and yellow pills: There may have to be a change to the marketing authorisation of medicinal products for human use once the UK leaves the EU

What are the potential implications of withdrawal from the EU for healthcare in Northern Ireland?

by Janice.Thompson
19th October 201631st March 2024

The Assembly Research and Information Service (RaISe) recently published a paper which provided an update on developments following the EU referendum on 23rd June. In this post, another in our series of articles examining some of the specific implications that a withdrawal from the EU may have for Northern Ireland, we examine what the implications might be for health and social care. This post follows a more detailed RaISe briefing paper on potential health and social care issues following Brexit.

Suicide rate per 100,000 persons; Belfast North and Belfast West are the two constituencies with the highest average annual suicide rate

Death by suicide in Northern Ireland

by Claire.Milliken
16th September 201631st March 2024

Please note that a more recent article on Suicide statistics and strategy in Northern Ireland: Update was published in November 2019.

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For the second consecutive year, Northern Ireland recorded the UK’s highest suicide rate. Provisional figures for 2015 show a figure of 318 recorded deaths by suicide in Northern Ireland. This compares with a total of 268 for 2014. In recent years, suicide rates have increased substantially from their typical level in the 1970s. For example, in 1971 a suicide rate of 5 per 100,000 population was recorded, and the rate remained in single figures for most of the next thirty years [1]. In the last decade, however, the rate has fluctuated around the mid-teens (14-17 per 100,000 population). There are many reasons why someone may experience suicidal feelings, and suicide is a highly complex issue. So what are some of the risk factors?

An image of a doctor and a couple having a discussion (Image: Rhoda Baer)

Advance decisions to refuse treatment: Where are we now?

by Janice.Thompson
22nd June 201631st March 2024

An advance decision to refuse treatment (sometimes known as a living will) is a decision a person can make now to refuse a specific type of treatment at some time in the future.

The Mental Capacity Act was passed late in the last Assembly mandate and received Royal Assent on 9 May 2016. With it, Northern Ireland became the first jurisdiction in the world to fuse mental health and mental capacity law as first recommended by the Bamford Review in its legislative report published in 2007. Under the new law, it will no longer be possible to treat a person who retains capacity (for a particular treatment decision) against their will. This principle will apply to both contemporaneous and advance decisions to refuse treatment, and to treatment decisions regarding both physical and mental conditions.

Outpatient appointments: why are we waiting?

by Lesley-Ann.Black
25th May 201631st March 2024

Despite recent investment, waiting lists are at an all-time high. Consultant-led outpatient appointments provide an opportunity for patients to receive consultation, investigation and minor treatment. Current demand is high, with over 1.5 million outpatient appointments occurring each year. Some clinical specialities have long waiting lists, resulting in patients experiencing significant delays to get treatment. This in turn can have a detrimental impact on their health and well-being.