Commenting on the Wales Audit Office’s report into mental health services for children and young people in Wales, Aled Roberts, Welsh Liberal Democrat Children Spokesperson, said:
“This latest report highlights the Welsh Labour Government’s failure to properly address safety concerns which were identified in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) report which was published in 2009.
“Whilst I accept that there have been some improvements, the fact that the report still describes many children and young people as being ‘at risk’ when accessing mental health services in Wales is shameful.
“Once again, this Welsh Labour Government seems to be completely oblivious to the reality of CAMHS in Wales, and the fact that for years vulnerable children and young people have been put in such dreadful situations shows how removed they are from the realities within the service.
“It is simply not acceptable that some children and young people are still being inappropriately admitted to adult mental health wards.
“In their mental health delivery plan, the Welsh Government advises that children and young people should only ever be admitted to adult wards in ‘exceptional circumstances’. This wording is clearly far too open to interpretation and I call on the Welsh Government to clearly define what it considers an ‘exceptional circumstance’.
“Health Boards are failing to report the admission of children on adult wards to the Welsh Government, as required. That is simply not good enough. It is critical that the Welsh Labour Government properly monitors the number of inappropriate placements that have taken place. The fact is that children are being put at risk and this can’t be allowed to continue happening.”
