Paul Goggins (Wythenshawe & Sale East, Labour)

Mental Health in-patient services for adolescents are provided in only one trust in Northern Ireland, that being South and East Belfast HSS trust. There are insufficient beds at present to meet demand.

Only five beds are currently open in the interim inpatient unit at Knockbracken (South and East Belfast HSS trust) due to staffing difficulties, although the unit has capacity for eight beds with the potential to eventually move to 12 beds. The situation is kept under active review with the aim of increasing the number of beds as soon as possible.

There are plans to build a new 18 bed mental health adolescent inpatient unit to replace the existing inpatient facilities at Knockbracken. This is due to be completed in 2008-09. This unit will help alleviate the current problem of insufficient provision of in-patient beds for this service.