The amount of time children and young people with mental health problems spend in hospital has hit a five-year high, new figures reveal.
Latest statistics reveal that under-18s spent a total of 84,501 days on mental health wards in the first half of 2009/10, which covers the period April to September.
The figure represents the highest number of bed days since collection of the data began in 2005, compared with the same six-month period in previous years.
The lowest number of days spent in hospital during the first half of a year was in 2006/07 when the figure came to 72,357.
Released in response to a parliamentary question tabled by shadow children's minister Tim Loughton, the figures also show the government is continuing to fail to meet a pledge that no children should be treated on adult psychiatric wards.
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