To ask the Minister of Health to detail how his Department is addressing barriers to police officers accessing statutory mental health services, including stigma and delays in referral pathways.

The Department of Health acknowledges the significant pressures faced by police officers and the potential impact on their mental health and well-being due to the nature of the work they undertake. The Department is committed therefore to ensuring timely and appropriate access to statutory mental health services when required.

When any citizen requires mental health support there are a range of services which can provide assessment, formulation and intervention as appropriate to the presentation. These include Community Mental Health Teams, Psychological Therapy Services and the Regional Trauma Network Team in each Trust. These services are applicable to people with a potential diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),

Psychological services within Adult Mental Health HSCT services provide psychological therapies for all adults who require this service. Referrals to psychological therapy services are prioritised based on clinical risk and need. These services are skilled in delivering trauma informed interventions and specific psychological therapies appropriate to adults across a range of backgrounds and experience.

The Regional Trauma Network, overseen jointly by my Department and The Executive Office, adopts an innovative approach working collaboratively with statutory, community and voluntary sector organisations to provide specialist trauma care to individuals.

Phase 1 focuses on victims and survivors of the Troubles and formally commenced on 1 April 2023 for a period of at least 3 years. Phase 1 is subject to evaluation to consider any unmet needs or ongoing needs, with lessons learned from the evaluation informing the roll out of Phase 2. The Phase 1 evaluation is scheduled to commence in April 2026. Community and Voluntary agencies also provide a wide range of interventions and support for individuals who experience trauma.

There is currently limited data on the prevalence of PTSD in Northern Ireland. However, I am mindful that there may be unmet need in this area with people not presenting to services or being within services but not yet having received a diagnosis of PTSD.

I remain committed to the continued integration of a trauma informed approach throughout my Department’s work and to ensure that people who require our services receive timely access and appropriate intervention.