To ask the Minister of Health, given the proposed closure of the site on 30 June 2024, what proposals are in place for Muckamore Abbey.

As the owner of the Muckamore Abbey Hospital site, the Belfast Trust is responsible for planning and implementing the closure arrangements. The Trust are currently publicly consulting on a draft Equality Impact Assessment on their Implementation Plan for the closure of the site. The outcome of this process will inform any next steps that may be taken in relation to the future use of the site.

The consultation is open until 30 April 2024 and can be accessed through the Belfast Trust’s website at Draft Equality Impact Assessment on Belfast Trust Implementation Plan to close Muckamore Abbey Hospital - NI Direct - Citizen Space

I recognise that as we get closer to the anticipated closure date for the hospital there is a level of anxiety and unease amongst patients and their families about the future arrangements for their care, and my overriding priority is the safety and well-being of the remaining patients.

The Regional Resettlement Oversight Board chaired by Dr Patricia Donnelly meets fortnightly to expedite discharge planning arrangements for those patients remaining in the hospital. Dr Donnelly also meets regularly with Departmental officials and individual Trusts in support of this work and to ensure progress with plans is maintained.

To ensure there is adequate and appropriate alternative service provision in place after Muckamore closes, my Department is working with Trusts to deliver specialist Learning Disability Assessment and Treatment beds, as well as enhanced community preventative services. Pending the outworking of this, officials have also recently written to Trusts to advise of an interim measure which will effectively regionalise the current Learning Disability specialist bed provision, and are working with Trusts to agree a process to operationalise this.