Debate contribution: Mental Health Data

Debate contribution by Mrs Linda Dillon on 16 February 2026.

MLA

Mrs Linda Dillon

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

16 February 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Mental Health Data

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5392008

Read the official Assembly record

Text

As has been said, the object of the motion is not an abstract debate about data, systems or IT infrastructure. It is about whether the Assembly and the Minister's Department are serious about improving mental health services or whether we are content to continue to make policy in a vacuum without reliable data. I agree with what Colin McGrath said about there being many places to capture data, but we should certainly start with Encompass, which cost £360 million; that is a very important place to start. At present, we do not have a clear, consistent or transparent picture of mental health services across our health and social care trusts. Such a picture should include all the organisations. Our trusts should understand what services are available in their trust area, whether they are trust-run or not. That is extremely important, and they absolutely should have that data. Another problem is that they do not collect that information and do not make it easily available to those who need services.

We cannot reliably answer basic questions about how many people are waiting for assessment or therapy, how long they are waiting, where the gaps in provision lie, whether spending matches what was planned or whether services are actually improving people's outcomes. In too many cases, we simply do not know. That should concern everybody in the Chamber. Without accurate and comparable data, we cannot plan services properly. Without transparent data, we cannot hold the system to account. Other jurisdictions routinely publish that information. Here, families, service users and even MLAs, too often, rely on freedom of information requests, partial snapshots or outdated figures. That is not how a modern, accountable health system should operate. The data deficit has real consequences. It means that unmet need can remain hidden, inequalities between trust areas can go unchallenged, and decisions about service redesign and investment are made without a full picture of demand, capacity and effectiveness. Front-line staff continue to work under immense pressure, but the system around them lacks the basic tools that are needed to support strategic planning and accountability. Accountability is really important, particularly for the Health Committee. We all know that the Minister is operating under severe budgetary constraints. Resources are tight, pressures are enormous and difficult choices have to be made every day. That is precisely why the motion matters. When funding is limited, it becomes even more important that every pound is spent where it will make the greatest difference. Good data is not a luxury in a tight financial climate; it is an absolute necessity. Without accurate information on demand, capacity and outcomes, scarce resources risk being directed to the wrong places. Inefficiencies go unchallenged, and those with the greatest need can be the very people who are overlooked. The call for a single, standardised mental health data system with regular public reporting across all trusts is not radical; it is basic good governance. If we are serious about parity of esteem between mental and physical health, mental health data must be treated with the same seriousness, visibility and rigour. If we are serious about suicide prevention, early intervention and tackling waiting lists, we must be prepared to measure what is happening, where it is happening, for whom and by whom. The motion should be seen as constructive. It is not about criticism for its own sake but about strengthening the foundations on which policy decisions are made. Transparency builds trust, evidence improves outcomes and accountability is essential if reform is to mean anything at all. For all those reasons, my party brought the motion to the House. I pay particular tribute to Órlaithí Flynn, who has done an immense amount of work in the area. She works very closely with many organisations to understand what can make the greatest difference. The reason that I have the information is because Órlaithí ensures that we know what is happening in mental health services, where the problems are and what we can do, potentially, to resolve them.

668 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:56 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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