More mental health support needed for children in West Yorkshire
Experts say support is heading in the right direction, but that more needs to be done with long term investment.
Efforts to support more children and young people with mental health problems closer to home is heading in the right direction, according to latest figures.
However experts in Leeds warn more needs to be done for children and young people backed with long term investment.
A partnership set up among a number of NHS Trusts across West Yorkshire and Harrogate has helped provide care closer to home, with evidence suggesting it has better health outcomes than most hospital admissions and is importantly better for families and carers - reducing travel time and unnecessary anxiety.
Thea Stein, CEO for Leeds Community Healthcare Trust, who’s organisation leads the work for new care models for the Partnership said: “Latest Partnership information shows that by adopting a shared approach across West Yorkshire and Harrogate the number and length of hospital bed days for children and young people across the area has reduced in the last six months from 708 occupied days in April 2018 to 536 in September 2018. The money saved means we commit funding to organisations across the area for £500k worth of investment in community services - ensuring more children and young people are cared for closer to home. Albeit this is progress, we know much more needs to be done to support children, young people and their families. We will continue to build on this progress for as long as needed”.
Through the introduction of the new care navigator role twenty one children and young people were also supported locally in the last six months without hospital admission.
Concerns are being raised though over children and mental health services remain poor in terms of assessment waiting times and providing timely access and meeting increasing demand.
There are now calls for to further improving care for children and young people in communities, through partnerships with other local authorities.
Bradford is currently using safer spaces for children and young people in mental health crisis, providing an alternative to hospital bed days whilst reducing unnecessary A&E attendance. It's hoped the scheme can be rolled out across other Partnership areas.
The Partnership’s work is also supported by a £13m capital investment from NHS England to build a new Children and Adolescent Mental Health Unit in Leeds. Led by Leeds Community Health Care NHS Trust on behalf of the Partnership, the new purpose built specialist CAMHS unit is due to be completed in the next 2 years.
It will support young people suffering complex mental illness. Importantly this means they will receive care locally if and when they need specialist hospital care. There are currently eight general adolescent beds for patients across West Yorkshire which are provided by Leeds Community NHS Healthcare Trust in Leeds.
This new unit will bring a significant increase in capacity and provide 18 specialist places and four psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) beds. These ‘extra’ beds are in part due to reallocating hospital beds across the country so that young people get specialised inpatient care nearer to where they live.
The Government's announced a string of new measures to help provide additional care in the 2018 Budget, including a 24 hour hotline, mental health ambulances and crisis support teams.
Rob Webster, CEO Lead for West Yorkshire and Harrogate Partnership and CEO for South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust said: “It’s reassuring that the national long term plan includes children and young people’s mental health as a priority. Real and sustainable improvement will need staffing and long term funding. I am delighted at the progress we are already making through new care models. These alone won’t meet the demand we face – we need continual investment, especially if we are to help children and young people sooner rather than later so they have better health and wellbeing as adults. They deserve nothing less”.
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