CAMPAIGNERS have expressed concern about a lack of accurate mental health data for the North following a damning review by the UK's main statistics agency.
In September 2021, a review by UK Office for Statistics Regulation pointed to a scarcity of robust mental health data, with serious discrepancies in the way data is presented in various regions of the North
The report notes that statistics "cannot tell us how many people are accessing mental health services in Northern Ireland and whether their needs are being met."
"This means it is also difficult to evaluate the delivery of mental health services and understand the outcomes for individuals," it reads.
The review points to the fact that data is collected "in silos" by each of the North's health trusts, whose varying data definitions and infrastructure means there is no accurate regional picture of mental health.
Local human rights organisation PPR and campaigners from the 123GP campaign say the report highlights the fact that data users are "frustrated by the lack of routinely published mental health data."
PPR Mental Health Rights Organiser, Sara Boyce, said the lack of data raises serious questions about government policy decisions.
"Duty bearers are making decisions about mental health services and policies – but we don't know on what basis, and there is no means of measuring any change in outcomes," she stated.
"This lack of transparency and accountability would be deemed unacceptable just about anywhere else.
"In February 2021, PPR and the 123GP campaign published an interactive map of GP practices providing in-house counselling. Data that was not publicly available up to then. Data that we had to source through FOI and then invest considerable time in cross-referencing and analysing.
"A flurry of Assembly Questions to the Minister for Health followed, from MLAs concerned at the post-code lottery highlighted by the map. A post-code lottery that continues to exist.
"It is clear that without accessible, timely and high-quality data, it is difficult if not impossible for all of us concerned with improving existing mental health service provision, to hold government to account."
Following the UK Office for Statistics Regulation review, the Director General for Regulation, Ed Humpherson, wrote to the Department of Health’s permanent secretary, Richard Pengelly, to highlight the "large gap" in statistics.
"We found that statistics users have a strong vision of what mental health statistics should be delivering, but that there are currently significant issues hindering their development," Mr Humpherson wrote.
"While there is large gap between this vision and what currently exists, we are encouraged by the strong appetite in Northern Ireland to make improvements."
