Children treated on adult mental health wards on the rise

Provisional data published yesterday by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) shows that between April and November 2013, 250 under-18s were recorded as spending time on adult mental health wards as a result of 303 admissions to hospital.

Over the eight-month period, child admissions accounted for 10,424 bed days on adult wards.

North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust had the highest number of young people treated on adult wards, while Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust had the most bed days.

Under the Mental Health Act (2007) adult mental health wards are deemed to be inappropriate settings for treating under-18s, and a succession of government ministers have pledged over recent years to end their use for children and young people.  

Campaigners have seized on the figures as further evidence of a “crisis” in children’s mental health services.

Lucie Russell, director of campaigns at YoungMinds said: “It is totally unacceptable that the numbers of children being treated on adult wards is on the increase. The legislation clearly states that an adult mental health ward is not an appropriate setting for vulnerable children with mental health problems.

“Unfortunately this issue reflects a crisis in mental health services across the board – from early intervention services to inpatient care. Young people are suffering increasing distress and yet services are being cut.

“Urgent action must be taken to ensure that the worrying increase in children on adult wards is halted and that both early intervention and crisis services improve.”

In 2012/13, there were 219 under-18s treated on adult mental health wards, a drop of 39 per cent on the previous year. The number of bed days also fell 46 per cent to 11,791 in 2012/13, while admissions were also significantly lower.

Under the 2007 Act, young people aged 16 and 17 are only meant to be treated in adult wards in exceptional circumstances, such as when waiting for a bed on a child ward to become available, while children under 16 should never be admitted to them.

However, the HSCIC data shows that in the first eight months of 2013/14 there were 31 under-16s treated on adult wards, up from 23 in the whole of 2012/13.

Norman Lamb, care and support minister, said: "Children and young people should not be treated on adult mental health wards. Our mental health crisis care concordat makes clear that the NHS must treat people under 18 in an environment suitable for their age, according to their needs.