A survey revealed that children with mental illness are forced to travel hundreds of kilometers to get treatment by the NHS. A child was sent 339 kilometers from their home.
Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that, in the absence of in-patient beds near the homes of young people, they must be treated in units away from their families and friends in their homes. other parts of the country.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists and the charity Young Minds said that this could slow recovery and scare children, some of whom might self-harm or commit suicide.
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In 2017, NHS England is committed to ending out-of-area placements and has announced the creation of 150 to 180 new children's beds.
However, data obtained from the organization show that hundreds of young people are still being fired, the largest distance traveled by a young person under 18 in the first six months of 2018-2019 being 338.8 miles.
That's equivalent to driving from Brighton to Sunderland.
In the previous year, the furthest distance recorded was 285 miles.
Tom Madders, Campaign Manager at Young Minds, said, "For children, being away from home is often painful and going to a hospital hundreds of miles away can make a terrible situation worse for the whole family.
"Families also face extra costs for travel and accommodation, which they may not be able to afford, just to be there for their child.
"In some cases, the specialized nature of treatment may mean that there is no suitable hospital unit in the immediate area, but that too many children have to travel very long distances.
"The government must continue to take action in this regard. It is also essential that early intervention is a priority, so that young people can get help in their communities before the problems get worse. "
A total of 587 youth were admitted to inpatient mental health care units in the first six months of 2018-2019 – the most recent figures available.
In the 12 months of 2017/18, 1,249 children were admitted to beds outside their area.
The biannual data suggest that the NHS was not about to significantly reduce the number of end-of-year children returned in 2018-2019.
Figures from 2018/19 also showed that several children from the Midlands, South East and London had to travel more than 250 km for treatment, while in the South, 84 children traveled between 100 and 200 km to get treatment. hospitalized.
In the Midlands and East of England, 25 children traveled between 100 and 150 km for treatment.
In the first six months of 2018-19, 2,101 other children and adolescents in England were treated within 100 km of their homes.
Dr. Jon Goldin, Vice President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists' School for Children and Adolescents, said, "Young people should not be forced to travel long distances, in some cases hundreds of kilometers, to receive care. they need for their serious mental illness. diseases, including diet, mood or psychotic disorders.
"The care and support of family members is a critical part of recovery, which is significantly complicated if patients are sent away from home for treatment.
"Loneliness and social isolation are also likely to hinder their chances of recovery. Such investments are often counterproductive.
"We welcome NHS England's commitment to end the use of out-of-area placements for children and youth.
"We want to work with them to ensure that this is achieved as quickly as possible and to improve data availability, as they have done for adults sent out of the area for treatment."
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health and Social Services said: "It is totally unacceptable that patients be kicked out of their families and friends for treatment and we are committed to ending inappropriate placements outside of their homes. the region for mental health care by 2020/21.
"We are transforming mental health services with a record record expenditure of £ 12.1 billion this year. As part of our long-term plan for the NHS, we have announced a further expansion of mental health services, with an additional £ 2.3 billion each year in real terms. from here 2023/24.