Access to CAMHS In-patient Care

Part of 4. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:39 pm on 3 April 2019.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 3:39, 3 April 2019

Again, I recognise this is a real and serious issue. We know that many children and young people who access the CAMHS service and are treated—that eating disorders are part of the reason why they're actually in the CAMHS service receiving a specialist service. We have money to repatriate more people, but we recognise that we haven't done as much as we would want to. That point I was making, in response to Helen Mary's question, is about need not capacity being the driver for where people are treated. I will publish the eating disorders report that Jacinta Tan and the team of people, including people with eating disorders, have contributed to, and there'll obviously be a response. And I'm more than happy to have an open debate about the provision that we have, how that matches the provision that we think we should have, and how we get to a different place. So, I'm entirely open-minded about what we could and should be doing, and, as I say, the report will be published, and I know that you and other Members will have questions to ask and comments to make that I hope will be helpful in taking a better way forward.