Children and young people in Northern Ireland are suffering because of a shortage in the mental health services supposed to help them, it was claimed today.
The North's Children's Commissioner Mr Nigel Williams
The North's Children's Commissioner, Mr Nigel Williams, warned of a crisis facing children and adolescent mental health services at a Belfast conference on suicide and self harm.
"It is unacceptable we cannot find beds in hospitals for young people at risk," he said.
"It is unacceptable that a number of mental health beads have been closed because of staffing problems; it is unacceptable that there are not enough resources for teenage girls with eating disorders," he added.
Mr Williams said it was also unacceptable that "proposed government cuts will close projects working to help prevent suicide and self-harm."
Mr Williams told the conference - organised by his Northern Ireland Commission for Children and Young People - that patient service was "creaking at the seams", although there are promises of extra provision.
There were great examples of preventative work and of primary care both in schools and in the community, he said, but they were "too few, their funding too short term and fragile".
PA