Health Minister unveils new plans to strengthen nursing leadership and bring mental health care closer to home
Health Minister Robbie Butler and Chief Nursing Officer Professor Maria McIlgorm
Wednesday 21 October 2026
Two new initiatives aimed at strengthening nursing leadership and shaping the future of mental health services across Northern Ireland have been launched as the health service faces growing demand, staffing challenges and financial pressures.
Health Minister Robbie Butler unveiled a Nursing and Midwifery Leadership Toolkit alongside a new Mental Health Nursing Model, designed to support changes in how care is delivered and strengthen the role of nurses and midwives in improving services for patients.
The initiatives were presented at the annual Chief Nursing Officer Conference, attended by approximately 250 people, primarily nurses and midwives from across Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care (HSC) sector.
Bringing mental health care closer to home
The Mental Health Nursing Model, entitled Partnering for Wellbeing and Enabling Recovery, sets out a vision for the future of mental health nursing, with an emphasis on providing more person-centred services within local communities.
It places mental health nurses at the centre of neighbourhood-based care, supporting an approach in which people can receive appropriate services closer to where they live.
The model was developed following extensive engagement with mental health nurses, student nurses, people with lived experience, education partners and health service leaders.
It identifies the profession’s strengths alongside challenges that must be addressed to meet the changing mental health needs of Northern Ireland’s population.
Supporting nurses and midwives in leadership roles
The Nursing and Midwifery Leadership Toolkit has been developed to help nurses and midwives responsible for managing operational teams strengthen their leadership skills and confidence.
The digital resource provides guidance, practical tools, learning materials and information on best practice and policy developments.
It can be regularly updated to ensure nursing and midwifery leaders have access to current information as they manage services and support staff delivering patient care.
The initiative forms part of wider efforts to equip the workforce to provide safe, high-quality and person-centred care while responding to pressures across the health service.
Minister highlights growing pressures on health services
Speaking at the conference, Health Minister Robbie Butler acknowledged the contribution of nurses and midwives and the importance of their leadership in delivering reform.
He said:
“With demand and expectations rising, and workforce and financial pressures posing significant challenges, we need to ask important questions about how and where we deliver care.
“The challenge for all of us is to improve and transform services while remaining true to the values that brought us into public service in the first place. In that context, the voice and role of nursing and midwifery is crucial.”
The conference was held under the theme Reset, Reform, Reimagine: Nursing and Midwifery Leadership for a Sustainable HSC, reflecting the challenges facing Northern Ireland’s health service and the need to develop sustainable approaches to care.
More than 30,000 nurses and midwives in Northern Ireland
Chief Nursing Officer Professor Maria McIlgorm highlighted the influence of nursing and midwifery across the health and social care system.
She said:
“Today there are over 30,000 nurses and midwives registered in Northern Ireland. As the largest professional workforce within health and social care, our influence extends far beyond direct patient care.”
Prof McIlgorm emphasised that nurses and midwives have a central role not only in delivering treatment but also in developing services and shaping future healthcare policy.
“We influence policy, lead services, support education, contribute to research, drive innovation and shape the experiences of patients and families across the system.
“That is why I often say that nursing and midwifery are not simply contributors to reform, we lead it.”
New career pathway for learning disability nurses
A third initiative, the Registered Nurse Learning Disability (RNLD) Career Pathway, was also launched during the conference.
The pathway is intended to support professional development within learning disability nursing and contribute to wider efforts to improve equality of access to healthcare and outcomes for people with learning disabilities.
Where to read the new guidance
All three publications are available through the Department of Health website:
The publications establish new guidance and priorities for nursing and midwifery across Northern Ireland. Their significance for patients will depend on how those priorities are translated into changes in frontline services, particularly the ambition to provide more mental health support closer to home.
