an appalling gap in children’s care

A DAMNING investigation has found that young children with mental health problems are having to travel hundreds of miles for treatment.

Data obtained by the Press Association under the Freedom of Information Act shows that 1,249 children were admitted to facilities up to 339 miles away from home in 2017/18 because of a lack of beds locally. This is appalling because it can have a serious impact on the quality of their treatment and slow their recovery.

The solution to children’s mental health problems often lies in helping the entire family, which is why family therapy is an integral part of care.

When a child is an inpatient, they need their families just as much, if not more. But if they are hours away from home, it makes visiting difficult and also compromises treatment.

The staff can’t conduct a full and thorough assessment of what is happening at home and the child won’t get the maximum benefit from the therapy on offer. Distance also makes it harder for a child to integrate back into their family after treatment. This should happen gradually, with the child spending a few hours at home to start with, slowly building up to overnight stays.

The NHS urgently needs to review the situation. Smaller, more local units are the answer. We owe it to children to ensure they get the best care.