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Distribution and characteristics of in-patient child and adolescent mental health services in England and Wales

Royal College of Psychiatrists' Research Unit, London

Tony Jaffa, BmedSci BM BS DCH FRCPsych

Lifespan Healthcare NHS Trust, Fulbourn

Peter Hill, MA MB Bchir FRCP FRCPsych FRCPCH

Department of Psychological Medicine, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, London

Sube Banerjee, MRCPsych MSc, MD

Royal College of Psychiatrists' Research Unit, London, UK

Correspondence: Professor Paul Lelliott, Royal College of Psychiatrists' Research Unit, 83 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0HW, UK

Declaration of interest None. Funding detailed in Acknowledgements.

See editorial, pp. 479–480, this issue.

Background Little is known aboutthe current state of provision of child and adolescent mental health service in-patient units in the UK.

Aims To describe the full number, distribution and keycharacteristics of child and adolescent psychiatric in-patient units in England and Wales.

Method Following identification of units, data were collected by a postal general survey with telephone follow-up.

Results Eighty units were identified; these provided 900 beds, of which 244 (27%) were managed by the independent sector. Units are unevenly distributed, with a concentration of beds in London and the south-east of England. The independent sector, which manages a high proportion of specialist services and eating disorder units in particular, accentuates this uneven distribution. Nearly two-thirds of units reported that they would not accept emergency admissions.

Conclusions A national approach is needed to the planning and commissioning of this specialist service.

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The future of in-patient child and adolescent mental health services

Simon G. Gowers and Andrew J. Cotgrove
BJP 2003 183: 479-480. [Full Text]  

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