Mental Welfare Commission For Scotland Expresses Concerns For Young People In Adult Psychiatric Wards

Main Category: Psychology / Psychiatry
Also Included In: Mental Health
Article Date: 08 Oct 2008 - 1:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Today's publication of the Mental Welfare Commission's annual report highlights the number of children and young people who received care and treatment in adult psychiatric wards in Scotland during 2007-08.

Commenting on the figures, the watchdog called for NHS Boards to make sure that they are fulfilling their legal duty to provide services and hospital accommodation that are appropriate to the needs of under-18 year olds.

In 2007-08 the Commission identified 142 admissions of young people under the age of 18 to non-specialist services. Over 90% of these admissions (134) were to adult psychiatric wards. For 21 of these young people there was no specialist psychiatric input. A similar number did not get access to the education support they were entitled to. While the Commission acknowledged the achievement of a 24% reduction in admissions to adult wards as a 'real step forward', it expressed concerns for the young people who continue to receive care in adult settings.

"We made the monitoring of admissions of young people under-18 a priority, not just because of their vulnerability in adult settings, but because the care and treatment a person gets in early life can have such long-term consequences on individual recovery and welfare" said Commission Director, Dr Donald Lyons. "Being admitted to an adult ward as a young person means that you are less likely to continue to access education, less likely to receive specialist clinical input and less likely to have an allocated social worker. Without specialist assessment and care plans that include social and educational support, the risk of long-term social exclusion increases, as does an individual's risk of the experiencing further serious mental health problems in future. It might not always be possible or appropriate for a young person to be admitted to a specialist ward but - whatever the setting - he or she should be guaranteed specialist care and treatment."

As part of its focus on care and treatment of young people the Commission's annual report also includes a summary of its investigation into the care and treatment of Ms Y. Ms Y was a 16 year old girl who received care and treatment on an adult ward from December 2006 to August 2007. During her admission to hospital she received no specialist care, despite a Mental Health Tribunal order that her NHS Board should ensure that this was provided. The Commission's report, 'Wrong place, wrong time' identifies a number of areas of concern, from lack of clarity in diagnosis, to identifiable risks to Ms Y's health and welfare. Report recommendations call on the Scottish Government to urgently review the operation of adolescent mental health services across Scotland to ensure a consistent approach to the care and treatment of 16 and 17 year old people.

The Commission plans to visit child and adolescent mental health services across Scotland during 2008-09 to assess how services for children and young people are being developed at a local level.

Notes

The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland is an independent organisation working to safeguard the rights and welfare of everyone with a mental illness, learning disability or other mental disorder. We

- provide expert advice and information on best ethical, clinical and legal practice;
- visit individuals and services to ensure care and treatment is in line with the law and good practice;
- conduct investigations where we think there has been a deficiency in individual care and treatment;
- monitor the use of mental health and incapacity law;
- work to develop mental health and learning disability policy that promotes individual human rights, equality and dignity.

Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland