Hull Mum Continues Children's Mental Health Campaign

Sally Burke is calling for an inpatient unit to be developed in East Yorkshire.

Published 8th Jan 2016

A Hull mum campaigning for more support for children with mental health problems - says she won't give up her fight until the government listens.

It's exactly a year since Sally Burke launched her campaign for a mental health inpatient unit for young sufferers to be installed in East Yorkshire.

Sally often has to travel hundreds of miles to visit her autistic and suicidal teenage daughter due to a shortage of beds here.

It's after the closure of the region's only facility - the West End unit in Hessle.

Sally says it makes the situation even more traumatic and told us:

"Mental health is spreading and it's now become the second largest killer in the country so we need to stand up and shout and not be ashamed and get rid of that stigma.

"My daughter has struggled terribly with home sickness and feels guilty about how much it is costing me to go and see her and to carry that guilt at such a young age when she is so poorly is just not fair. Even the transition home it is supposed to be gradual but it's very difficult when they are so far away.

"Over the last year we have acheived lots of goals and we are excited that we have got some change coming but we are still fighting for the beds in our area.

"When your child is ill as a parent you want to be there to support them and when you can't it is undescribable about how empty you feel.

"Children with mental health problems are just not getting what they need because it is a mental problem and they can't see it and it is invisible yet if they had a physical illness there is a set procedure where families can support that child but with mental health there isn't and it's just discriminated against so much."

Sally will meet the State and Social Care Minister later this month to discuss the issue.