Mentally ill children in England are still being failed by the NHS, with many inappropriately placed on adult psychiatric wards, the children's commissioner said today.
According to a study led by Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green, the children's commissioner for England, only 15% of NHS trusts are treating children on appropriate wards.
The survey of 200 mental health and primary care trusts did acknowledge that some were making good progress towards meeting the government's 2010 target of only treating under-18s on adult wards if appropriate. Aynsley-Green warned that many trusts still had "some way to go" to achieve this.
"Much still needs to be done to ensure young people placed on adult wards have the appropriate level of care and support they need."
The commissioner's report, Pushed Into the Shadows, published in January 2007, criticised the "national scandal" whereby many children were being treated on adult psychiatric wards because of a shortage of beds.
The follow-up study, Out of the Shadows?, carried out with the charity Young Minds, said progress was being made.
The report found some young people had spent up to a year on adult wards.
The study noted that in many cases little attempt was made to help children continue with their education with some being left to "stare at the wall".
The Department of Health said an extra £1.2bn for mental health services meant care was improving.
A spokesman said: "Spending on mental health services increased by 31%, or £1.2bn, in the past five years, allowing the NHS to invest in the services and staff needed to transform mental health provision.
"This has included a commitment that, by November this year, no under-16 will be treated on an adult psychiatric ward and that by April 2010 all under-18s will be treated in an age-appropriate environment in hospital.
"We are confident that all trusts will meet these commitments on time, commissioning extra provision where required."
Source: guardian.co.uk
