§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase the number of elderly mentally infirm unit places in Northern Ireland. [132470]
§ Angela SmithIt is a matter for each Health and Social Services Board to determine the need for any service in their area and to commission that service within the resources available to it.
The Northern HSS Board is currently undertaking a review of services for older people with mental health problems, and will use the findings to determine level of need in their area. A report is due in March 2004.
The Eastern HSS Board has no plans to increase number of elderly mentally infirm places at present.
The Southern HSS Board has plans to support an additional 40 elderly mentally infirm people using a supported living model.
The Western HSS Board has recently sponsored the development of 20 nursing placements, and is currently planning for the provision of a further 30 places in a Housing with Care Unit. It has also identified further need for additional EMI places within a supported living model, and is planning a review of provision to quantify this.
Although it is not possible to provide an exact Northern Ireland total, it was estimated in 2002 that there are 2,500–3,000 permanent places available for, or occupied by, persons with dementia (equivalent to elderly mentally infirm persons) regardless of the source of funding. At the moment there is no evidence that there is a need to increase the number of elderly mentally infirm unit places in Northern Ireland.