Health Minister Robbie Butler visited two healthcare facilities in Lisburn on the same day, meeting staff and viewing services that highlight integrated community care and specialist support for adults with learning disabilities.

At the Lagan Valley Primary and Community Care Centre, the Minister met district nurses, physiotherapists, the home treatment team, a GP from Lisburn City Practice, and the community children's service team. The centre brings together GP practices, trust teams, mental health services, children's services, and community care professionals in one building. It also consolidates eight community adult mental health services that were previously in four locations, and houses children's disability services, children's nursing services, and family and childcare services.

Minister Butler said the centre is a good example of integrated working and helps people access the right care closer to home. Andrea Beeks, one of Northern Ireland's first consultant district nurses, explained to him the role district nursing teams play in helping people remain independent in their own homes.

Dr Clive Patterson from Lisburn City Practice said he appreciated the opportunity to discuss pressures on GPs and the difference between primary and secondary care.

Later, the Minister visited Thompson House Hospital's Linen Lodge, a six-bedded residential unit for adults with a learning disability and complex needs. The facility provides short- to medium-term assessment and treatment and is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland. It cost £2 million and was developed over two years, reusing existing space at the hospital.

The unit is designed to provide early intervention and step-down care from hospital back to the community, with a focus on positive behaviour support and helping individuals return home when clinically appropriate.

Robyn Lennox, assistant director of adult learning disability services for the South Eastern Trust, said the service aims to reduce hospital admissions and support people to remain in their own homes. She noted that the initiative aligns with the draft learning disability service model for Northern Ireland and that the trust looks forward to it becoming fully commissioned and operational.

During the same visit, the Minister also congratulated staff at the Regional Day Procedure Unit in Lagan Valley Hospital after it received Getting it Right First Time accreditation, the first such accolade for a facility of its kind in Ireland. Brian McFetridge, the trust's director of surgery, said the visit recognised the staff's contribution to improving patient access across the region.