Health minister Rosie Winterton has introduced an amendment that would place a duty on health services to provide a suitable environment for under-18s to receive treatment.
The Government had rejected an earlier amendment, introduced in the Lords, that would have banned young people from being held on adult wards (YPN, 16-22 May, p2).
Despite this, Kathryn Pugh, director of policy at youth mental health charity YoungMinds, welcomed the latest amendment. "It will now be a legal requirement for primary care trusts to tell child and adolescent mental health services and local authorities where they have bought beds and to ensure they have the space and beds available. There is a need now for an implementation plan to take it further," she said.
The Mental Health Alliance group has also welcomed the development.
Winterton held meetings with mental health campaigners, including YoungMinds, during the bill's passage through Parliament. The charity has long-argued for age-appropriate care for young people and is also calling for more advocacy services to be available for young people with mental health problems outside the health system.
Pugh said: "They haven't addressed the need for independent advocacy for young people who are not detained, and it can be very hard for them to be heard."
The bill is expected to complete its passage through Parliament this week.
