Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England commented on the launch of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Taskforce report:
“The neglect of children and young people’s mental health services has gone on long enough. Last year, there were 17,278 admissions at A&E involving patients aged 18 and under. This is simply unacceptable. We welcome this wide-ranging report which sets out a clear proposal for much-needed transformation of these services, in particular, its focus on early intervention and better and more appropriate mental health support in A&E.
“Our work has highlighted the importance of health bodies involving children and young people in strategic decision making and we are pleased that this report echoes our emphasis on the important role that children and young people can play to ensure evidence-based treatments are provided to meet their needs.
“It is important that this does not become another report which simply sits on the shelf. The announcement of significant funds to back the implementation of the report is welcome. However, we must make sure that this is a real catalyst for change and the momentum behind this report continues to deliver real and improved outcomes for children and young people across England.
“As the Children’s Commissioner, I have identified children’s mental health as a key priority and will continue to champion the voices of children and young people to ensure these recommendations are urgently enacted.”
