‘Seismic change’ needed in NHS to help suicidal children

SUICIDAL children are being abandoned, the Children’s Commissioner has warned as she called for “seismic change” to mental health services for the young.

Anne Longfield said understaffed and fragmented services meant minors are being turned away even if they say they no longer wanted to live.

Her warning to MPS followed a report which showed children’s psychiatric services are receiving an average of just 6 per cent of the mental health budget, despite children making up around 20 per cent of the population.

Meanwhile, the Care Quality Commission, responsible for regulating services, said there was no clear structure of accountability at a local level.

Currently only one in four children with a condition is being treated.

“Socially and morally it cannot be right that we are allowing children to worsen in terms of condition,” Ms Longfield told the Health Select Committee. “We wouldn’t allow that for children with a broken leg. The waiting times if they get accepted on to treatment can be six months.

“They don’t have any contact during that period and if they don’t turn up, often it’s two strikes and you’re out. We need seismic change in the system.”

She said she had seen evidence that children would only receive treatment once they had made a suicide attempt, but that those expressing an intention to take their life could be ignored.

The Government said £1.4 billion would be spent on child mental health between now and 2021, but MPS raised concerns that in at least 39 local areas the money is not getting to the front line.

Jackie Doyle Price, a health minister, acknowledged the situation was “not good enough”.

“I’m not satisfied by where we are but the direction of travel is positive,” she said.