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Mentally-ill Leeds children sent to adult wards
ADULT psychiatric wards in Leeds have treated 50 children, despite a warning that the practice is a "national scandal."
Figures released to the Conservative party under the Freedom of Information act show that five under-16s and 45 aged 16 or 17 in the city have been cared for on adult wards in the last three years.
The patients had been referred to Leeds Mental Health Teaching Trust by Leeds Primary Care Trust (PCT).
Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green, the Children's Commissioner for England, has criticised treatment of child mental heath patients alongside adults. Two years ago he branded it a "national scandal", adding: "It wouldn't surprise me if children leave adult wards worse than when they went in."
Roger Catchpole, a spokesman for the charity Young Minds, said: "There is no way of knowing to what extent that is appropriate care and to what extent it is using adult wards because there is no appropriate care available."
The Department of Health has pledged that by November no under-16s 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"
But a DoH spokesman said some 16- and 17-year-olds will continue to be treated alongside adults after 2010.
He said: "It would be inappropriate to introduce an absolute prohibition of 16- to 17-year-olds being placed on an adult ward, as this would mean some patients would not be treated in an environment suitable for their needs and in line with their wishes."
A spokesperson for Leeds Mental Health Teaching Trust said those cared for by them had been looked after as an "overflow arrangement" with Leeds Primary Care Trust which has responsibility for providing mental health care for under 18s in the city.
Leeds Primary Care Trust said its role was to ensure all young people in Leeds received the mental health care they needed in the most appropriate and safe settings.
A spokesman added: "Unfortunately some young people can experience very rare mental health problems with extreme symptoms, requiring specialist care away from other young people.
"In all cases we do our utmost to ensure they are treated in age-appropriate care facilities wherever clinically appropriate. On rare occasions, specialist care may require a short-term placement on an adult mental health ward."
Meanwhile, the figures also reveal that 1,563 Leeds mental health trust patients were assaulted by other patients between 2005 and 2008. This included 27 sexual assaults and one rape. The overall numbers were 517 in 2005/06, 616 in 2006/07 and 430 in 2007/08.
A trust spokesperson said: "The safety of patients is always our primary concern. We keep under constant review measures to review the services we provide.
"Recent examples of this include the securing of doors to inpatient units and the provision of single sex wards."
The Tories received responses from 52 of the 72 mental health trusts in England. Health spokesman Andrew Lansley said: "It's shameful that mental health hospitals have become places where patients live in fear. Labour have broken their promises to improve standards."
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Weather for Leeds
Sunday 12 February 2012
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Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
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