Councillors welcomes Billion pound investment in child mental health services

COUNCILLORS are welcoming a massive financial boost to child mental health services.

It was announced in the Budget that an extra £1.25Billion over five years would be spent on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS); that's £250Million a year over the next five years, with the funding starting to come on stream next month.

Lib Dem Councillors say this will make a major difference in provision, allowing an extra 11,000 children nationwide to be treated.

Councillor Michael Mullaney (Hinckley Trinity), Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesman for Bosworth and the Borough Council's Mental Health Champion, says "This investment is long overdue and I'm proud that Lib Dem Ministers in Government have led the way in ensuring this funding is delivered.

My Party has a proud record in fighting for parity between physical health and mental health provision and this money will go a long way to ensuring that becomes the case."

"We're helping to build a fairer society where young people can get the right treatment for serious mental health problems."

Councillor Mathew Hulbert (Lib Dem, Barwell), the Borough Council's Children and Young People's Champion, says this money is urgently needed.

"At present 10% of children aged five to sixteen suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder, with up to one child in every twelve deliberately self-harming and, over the last ten years, a 68% increase in the number of young people admitted to hospital because they self-harm."

"Thanks to this vital new funding waiting time standards for child mental health will be introduced and specialists in children's talking therapy will be available in every part of the country by 2018."

"This has been a major priority for successive Lib Dem Health Ministers-Paul Burstow MP and Norman Lamb MP-and, whilst there remains much more work to be done, we can be proud of what's been achieved so far."