Blair calls for urgency over Birch Hill plans

SOUTH Antrim Alliance MLA John Blair has backed a calls to expedite the delivery of the Birch Hill Mental Health Centre.

Fellow Assembly member Declan Kearney raised the issue at Stormont last week.

It will likely be January before more clarity will be provided on whether the vital new £143 million facility at Bush Road in Antrim can be funded by the Department of Health.

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust Board heard at last month’s meeting that the Department’s capital plan will be available in the New Year, which will help inform a timeline.

However it is understood that there are concerns over the 2026/27 budget position, and with total bids for various projects exceeding the available budget, new or partially committed projects are likely to continue to remain stalled.

The proposed 134-bed facility is intended to replace the existing Holywell Hospital in Antrim, which is in a poor state of repair, and the Ross Thomson Unit, an 18-bed acute admission ward at Causeway Hospital in Coleraine.

Planning permission for the Birch Hill Mental Health Centre was granted by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council in June 2024, with completion expected by late 2028.

The Trust had been due to receive the building for commissioning on 31 December 2029, already delayed from the original schedule.

The historic 1898 Holywell Hospital ‘asylum’, which currently houses around 400 staff members and provides just over 100 inpatient beds, is continuing to fall into dilapidation, with workers saying the original building and surrounding Tobernaveen wards, added in the 1950s, are not suitable for the treatment or accommodation of mental health patients in the modern era.

Mr Blair told the Assembly: This project is significant not only for South Antrim residents but also for the broader Northern Health & Social Care Trust area, as it will deliver a purpose-built, modern facility that serves as a vital resource.

“Indeed, Northern Ireland has some of the highest rates of mental ill health in the UK. According to a report by the Mental Health Foundation, roughly 1 in 5 adults in Northern Ireland has a diagnosable mental health condition, higher than any other UK region.

“Furthermore, the Health and Social Care Board has reported that Northern Ireland has one of the highest suicide rates in the whole United Kingdom.

“The proposed Birch Hill Centre, therefore, will enable access to quality care for those who are struggling. For many residents in South Antrim and beyond, having this centre means receiving the “support they need closer to home and in an environment designed for recovery.

“The Health Minister has previously given assurances that the Trust expects the new facility to be open to patients by winter 2027.

“However, we must ensure that, despite financial constraints and uncertainties around capital budgets, this project remains a top priority.

“Continued delays could have devastating effects on individuals and their families.

“As a society, we must treat mental health with the same urgency and importance as physical health.

“The cost of inaction is profound—impacting not just individual well-being, but also causing significant repercussions within our communities, such as reduced productivity and less capacity to support others.

“I urge the Minister to do everything possible to secure the swift delivery and full funding of the Birch Hill Centre for Mental Health.

“He must show that he takes mental health seriously, and I look forward to hearing his update on this matter shortly.”