AQW 48063/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the amount spent on health visitor services, in the last five years, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.
Asked by Michelle Guy MLA on 5 June 2026
- Answered
- Written
- After due date
- Tabled
- 5 June 2026
- Answer due by
- 22 June 2026
- Answered
- 29 June 202624 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
The cost of health visiting services, in the last five years, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust is set out in Table 1.
Table 1: 5-year cost of health visiting services per HSC Trust
| Trust | 2020/21 £’m | 2021/22 £’m | 2022/23 £’m | 2023/24 £’m | 2024/25 £’m |
| BHSCT | 7.1 | 7.3 | 8.5 | 10.0 | 10.6 |
| NHSCT | 9.8 | 10.1 | 11.3 | 12.2 | 12.3 |
| SEHSCT | 5.4 | 5.6 | 9.7 | 8.8 | 9.7 |
| SHSCT | 7.8 | 8.0 | 9.2 | 11.2 | 11.3 |
| WHSCT | 6.3 | 6.5 | 7.3 | 8.1 | 7.3 |
Notes:
In 2023/24 South Eastern Trust implemented Encompass. As a result, they were only able to submit activity for 7 months of the year. Costs have been extrapolated to reflect the full year cost.
Due to concerns around the robustness of Encompass data, Belfast Trust were unable to provide a 2024/25 cost submission. The figure included in the cost data above for Belfast has been generated from 2023/24 Cost data, and uplifted by 6.92%, which was the total increase in the Trusts’ cost quantum from the prior year. These figures are indicative only and at a service level may under or overrepresent the movement in costs between 2023/24 and 2024/25.
In 2024/25 South Eastern Trust and Northern Trust provided 7 months data. Costs have been extrapolated to reflect the full year cost.