AQW 2381/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health (i) for his assessment of the current provision of psychiatrists; and (ii) what steps he is taking to (a) fill current vacancies; and (b) increase the number of training places for psychiatrists.
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 29 June 2022
- Answered
- Written
- After due date
- Tabled
- 29 June 2022
- Answer due by
- 18 July 2022
- Answered
- 16 August 202248 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
The supply of Consultant Psychiatrists is a concern for all Trusts across NI, with more roles available than individuals to fill them. Issues in relation to medical workforce planning, limited commissioned training places, differences in pay and conditions and early retirements are resulting in a reduced available consultant psychiatry workforce, both on a permanent and locum basis.
A review of the Mental Health workforce, one of the enabling actions in the Mental Health Strategy 2021-2031, is currently underway, and a range of workforce issues, including recruitment and retention, is included as part of that review. The final report is anticipated by early autumn.
There are currently 94 training places across psychiatry training programmes in Northern Ireland, including core and higher level programmes.
| Psychiatry training programme places – 2022/2023 | |
| Position at 3 August 2022 | |
| Specialties | Places |
| Core Psychiatry Training (Core Trainee 1-Core Trainee 3) | 51 |
| Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (Specialty Trainee 4+) | 9 |
| Forensic Psychiatry (Specialty Trainee 4+) | 4 |
| General Adult Psychiatry (Specialty Trainee 4+) | 22 |
| Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability (Specialty Trainee 4+) | 4 |
| Psychiatry of Old Age (Specialty Trainee 4+) | 4 |
| Total places | 94 |
A strategic workforce review of the psychiatric specialties was recently carried out. The resulting Medical Workforce Plan for Psychiatry Specialties 2022 – 2031 is currently being considered by my Department. When this process has been completed, the report will be published on the Department’s website.
I have stated my ongoing commitment to implement recommendations made as part of the strategic workforce planning process, including any that arise from this report. However, as I have noted on many occasions, planning is ultimately meaningless without the necessary financial resources in place to supply and develop our workforce.
Unfortunately, the current funding being made available to my Department is not sufficient to meet existing or new workforce planning recommendations. In addition, single-year budgets constrain the assessment of affordability, frustrating long-term investment in the multi-year training programmes. It is therefore essential that a multi-year budget is confirmed at the earliest opportunity, so that the difficult, long-term decisions about the prioritisation of finances for issues such as psychiatric training, can be made.