Rise in mentally ill kids on adult wards
Damning report reveals worrying child care trend
THE number of children with mental health problems who are being treated on adult wards in Scotland has risen, figures reveal.
A report from the Mental Welfare Commission (MWC) found 90 patients under 18 were admitted to non-specialist wards last year.
That compares with 66 for the previous year but is lower than the total of 175 for 2014-15.
The MWC identified 103 admissions involving 90 youngsters. Almost all were to adult wards.
MWC chief Colin McKay said: “We believe the rise may reflect capacity issues within the mental health system as a whole.
“We are very concerned about the continued lack of intensive psychiatric care facilities in Scotland for children and young people, something we have raised for several years.”
Fourteen children were admitted to IPCUs, or locked wards, of whom five were aged under 16.
McKay added: “Adult intensive care psychiatric units can often be unsuitable environments for adolescents. They are specialised environments for adults who are very unwell and present with high risk to themselves or others. They are also used routinely to provide care for adults who are engaged in the criminal justice system and court processes due to the security of the environment.”
NHS Lanarkshire had 22 admissions while Grampian had 17, Greater Glasgow and Clyde 16, and Tayside 14.
There are currently 48 specialist beds provided in Scotland at units in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. A further six-place unit – for five to 12-year-olds – is in the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow.
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition called on the Government to boost specialist bed numbers.
They said: “The Scottish Government need to refocus their efforts on prevention and early intervention, ensuring that issues do not escalate.
“We also need to ensure that we have adequate specialist bed numbers that can deal with the requirements should the need arise.”
Last night, the Scottish Government said: “We agree with the report’s recommendations to improve bed-use efficiency and the provision of intensive psychiatric care. This will be delivered.”