Mental Health & Learning Disability Inpatients (2022/23)

The Department of Health today published statistics on inpatients and compulsory admissions in mental health and learning disability hospitals in Northern Ireland for the year ending 31 March 2023.

Key Points

Mental Health

Mental Illness and Learning Disability Census

• On 17 February 2023, 627 patients were being treated as inpatients in mental health hospitals in Northern Ireland. Of these 627 patients, more than three quarters (76.9%, 482) had been resident in hospital for six months or less, whilst four (0.6%) patients had been resident for more than 10 years. (Table 1.2).
• Between 2019 and 2023, the number of patients being treated as inpatients in mental health hospitals increased by 12 (2.0%), from 615 to 627 (Table 1.1).
• More than three fifths (63.3%, 397) of the 627 occupied beds in mental health hospitals on 17 February 2023 were ‘Acute’ beds (Table 1.3).

Compulsory Admissions

• Over the last five years, the number of compulsory admissions to mental health hospitals under the Mental Health (NI) Order 1986 decreased by 43 (3.9%), from 1,106 in 2018/19 to1,063 in 2022/23 (Table 1.4).
• During 2022/23, the highest number of compulsory admissions was recorded in the 18 to 44 years age group (536, 50.4%) (Table 1.5).

Learning Disability

Mental Illness and Learning Disability Census

• Between 2019 and 2023, the number of patients being treated as inpatients in learning disability hospitals decreased by 41 (42.7%), from 96 to 55 (Table 2.1).
• On 17 February 2023, 55 patients were being treated as inpatients in learning disability hospitals in Northern Ireland. Of these 55 patients, almost one in five (18.2%, 10) had been resident in hospital for six months or less, whilst 13 (23.6%) had been resident for more than 10 years (Table 2.2).
• More than a quarter (27.3%, 15) of the 55 occupied beds in learning disability hospitals were ‘Assessment and Treatment’ beds at 17 February 2023 (Table 2.3).

Compulsory Admissions

• Between 2018/19 and 2022/23, the number of compulsory admissions to learning disability hospitals under the Mental Health (NI) Order 1986 decreased by 20 (57.1%), from 35 to 15 (Table 2.4).
• Two fifths of compulsory admissions to learning disability hospitals in 2022/23 involved patients under eighteen years old (40.0%, 6) (Table 2.5).  The information release is published on the Departmental website at:

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/topics/mental-health-and-learning-disability-statistics