Submitted by crinadmin on
Mentally ill children and young people are still being failed by the NHS, the Children's Commissioner for England warned. Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green said some authorities were making good progress towards achieving Government targets of ensuring no children or young people are inappropriately placed on adult mental health wards by 2010. But he warned that others still had "some way to go" in achieving this. His remarks were made following a report setting out the progress made so far by primary care trusts (PCTs) and mental health trusts (MHTs) in meeting the Government target. Sir Al said: "Many of the replies I received show a real determination to address the gaps identified and a commitment to achieving concrete improvements. "Those primary care trusts and mental health trusts are to be applauded and I warmly welcome their efforts, and the strong support provided by the Government. "However, it is clear that for other PCTs and MHTs, much still needs to be done to ensure young people placed on adult wards have the appropriate level of care and support that they need." The assessment was made in the report Out of the Shadows?, a joint publication by the Children's Commissioner, the charity YoungMinds and the group Very Important Kids. It follows on from a report Pushed Into the Shadows, carried out on behalf of Sir Al and published last January, which said young people with mental health problems were receiving inappropriate and inadequate care on adult wards because of a shortage of hospital beds for under-18s. A Department of Health spokesman said: "Spending on mental health services increased by 31 per cent, or £1.2 billion, in the last five years, allowing the NHS to invest in the services and staff needed to transform mental health provision." Â