Action for Children reported that one in three young people now have mental health issues only a quarter of those who need help are currently able to access treatment from NHS services
At yesterday’s 25 Oct 18 House of Lords “Oral questions” Baroness Tyler asked the government what is their most recent assessment of access to treatment in Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services. After the usual “additional £1.4 billion available” ministerial reply, Claire Tyler said:
“Last week, Action for Children reported that one in three young people now have mental health issues. It also estimated that only a quarter of those who need help are currently able to access treatment from NHS services; this is quite often because they are not considered “ill enough”. I am particularly concerned by the often non-existent provision of crisis care for young people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts, self-harming, or just desperately needing help, often in the evening or at weekends—certainly outside of nine-to-five office hours. Could the Minister say whether setting up 24/7 crisis care provision for children, young people and their families will be a key priority for the Government in the forthcoming NHS long-term plan?”
Baroness Parminter chipped in with this:
“My Lords, have the Government made an assessment of the number of children and young people referred to community eating disorder services? Given that anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental health disease, how many of those referrals do not go on to get treatment?”
You can read the full exchange here on this worrying subject. How will technology and Matt Hancock’s vision for digital transformation within the nation’s healthcare sector factor in Young Mental Health?