Mental health spend 'must double'

The amount the government spends on mental health and learning disability services in NI should double within the next 20 years, a review has found. The Bamford Review, to report later, was set up to examine how services for people with mental illness or learning disabilities could be improved.

One in four of NI's population are affected by some form of mental illness at some point in their lives. The review began in 2002 and cost £1m to complete.

It was launched to evaluate the law, policy and provision of services for those with mental health needs. It closes formally at a conference in Belfast on Tuesday. It has resulted in seven reports with another three in the pipeline.

Professor Roy McClelland, who chaired the review, said more money was crucial.

"We presently spend, for example on mental health, well over £100m per year - we need to double that," he said.

Health Minister Paul Goggins said more needed to be done to find the cause of the problem.

"The headlines are around the extra money that will be needed and I am sure the evidence from the review will help with discussions with the Treasury about the money that we do need," he said.

Sinn Fein health spokesperson John O'Dowd said the report's recommendations needed an immediate response. "Evidence from service users, carers and service providers point to significant gaps in service provision for people with mental health needs," the Upper Bann assembly member said.

Carmel Hanna of the SDLP said more funding for mental health care was essential to improve services. "Funding for mental health services in Northern Ireland to date has not reflected the size and scale of the problem here," the South Belfast assembly member said.

Alliance assembly member for Strangford Kieran McCarthy said mental health care in Northern Ireland had been ignored for too long "Money invested in mental health provision will gain a strong return in the long run, in terms both of saving lives and of saving money," he said.

Professor David Bamford, the University of Ulster academic who headed the review, died in January this year. Before his death, he wrote an open letter to the health minister appealing for more cash to be made available.

Part of the review's remit was to examine the Mental Health Order and take account of policy developments in Northern Ireland and the EU.