\u201cThe continued admission of vulnerable children to adult mental health facilities, as highlighted in the Mental Health Commission\u2019s Annual Report, is unacceptable and must be addressed immediately\u201d, says Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Mental Health Commission has reported that in 2015 there were 95 admissions of children to adult mental health units. For the majority of such admissions (75%), efforts were made to admit the child to an age appropriate approved centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, it appears that these efforts were frustrated as the Commission found that in all cases where a child was admitted to an adult unit, there were free beds available in adolescent units. The Mental Health Commission report states that often such a bed was deemed as unavailable because there was no Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team accessible, it was out of hours, or the unit did not accept out of hours admissions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a very clear example of the system taking precedence over the needs of the child and is a practice which needs to end immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must provide the safest possible setting for our most vulnerable children, where they can receive the best possible care to help them to heal and grow again. By denying them a bed in a setting with their peers, we are exposing this cohort of young people to unnecessary trauma, at a time when we know they cannot cope.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been five years since the Government committed to ensuring that there would be no children in adult units. I urge the new Government to live up to that promise for the children of 2016.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have requested a meeting with the Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health, Helen McEntee, and this is an issue I intend to raise with her when we meet.\u201d<\/p>\n
ENDS<\/strong><\/p>\n Contact: Notes to Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nAoife Carragher
\nOmbudsman for Children\u2019s Office
\n01 865 6806 \/ 087 148 4173<\/p>\n