The Government has scrapped an amendment to the Mental Health Bill that would ban children from being treated on adult mental health wards, but pledged to put forward its own proposals later this month.
Speaking to MPs scrutinising the Mental Health Bill last week, healthminister Rosie Winterton insisted that enshrining the ban in law woulddeny children treatment if the right resources were unavailable.
She promised to thrash out a consensus with service providers,professionals and the Conservatives, who backed the amendment.
Kathryn Pugh, project officer for YoungMinds, said the move provoked"cautious optimism" among campaigners. "The Government could have justknocked this out and not included it in policy but it hasn't," she said."It's clear the Government and Labour members are taking the issueseriously."
