Despite NHS England's pledge in 2017 to end the practice of sending children long distances for mental health treatment, recent data reveals that some children are still being treated hundreds of miles from home. Between December 2023 and November 2024, 319 children were placed in non-local beds, resulting in over 35,000 days spent away from home. Experts warn that this dislocation can hinder their recovery and increase the risk of self-harm, underscoring an urgent need for local care options.
It is unacceptable that sick and extremely vulnerable children and young people with mental illness are still being sent miles away from their family and friends.
The last thing children coping with mental illness need is to be left isolated, lonely and unsupported.
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