Child ‘Adult Mental Care’ Scandal
Treating children in adult psychiatric wards is a “national scandal”, says the Children’s Commissioner for England. Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green told the BBC he fears children leave in a poorer condition than when they went in.
A report to be published next week by the charity Young Minds warns there are not enough emergency beds for children with mental health problems.
{mosimage}Almost 1,000 under-18s spend time on an adult ward in a year, with more than half of those admissions inappropriate.
Young Minds’ report, prepared for the Children’s Commissioner, details the experiences of sixteen young people, aged between 13 and 19, who have been treated on adult wards for their mental health problems.
Some were held in police cells or accident and emergency units whilst a search was made for a place which could take them.
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