Investment in child mental health services 'an insult to children' - Ombudsman

Michael Bolton

The level of investment in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) is "an insult to children", according to the Children's Ombudsman.

Dr Niall Muldoon was speaking at the Psychiatric Nurses Association's (PNA) annual delegate conference in Carlow, where funding to children's mental health services was one of the main talking points.

Dr Muldoon told the conference "expenditure on mental health services as a percentage of total health expenditure has been in decline for forty years and now stands at just 5.2 per cent of total spending on health."

He said the budget allocated to Camhs is just 10 per cent of the mental health services budget, or just 0.63 per cent of the overall health budget.

Dr Muldoon described the investment in mental health services for children as both "an insult to children" and "unacceptably low".

PNA general secretary Peter Hughes said the Ombudsman assessment confirmed the union's long-standing concerns about underinvestment in Camhs nationally.

Mr Hughes said "it also highlights a Camhs service that is failing children, young people, families, communities, and its staff".