...despite fierce local government cuts, an MP has claimed.

RELATED ARTICLES:

South Cumbria kids detained in unsuitable hospital wards

Internet a factor in Cumbria children's mental health referrals

Barrow mum calls for mental health overhaul

Barrow father tells of 50-mile trek for help

Alastair Campbell backs campaign

Charity backs Cumbria mental health campaign

Campaign puts Cumbria mental health in spotlight’

Bosses of failing Cumbria children's mental health services coin it in

Cumbria children's mental health services in crisis

Cumbria child mental health service blasted

Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock spoke out as he lent his full support to the Evening Mail’s newly launched Healthy Young Minds campaign.


The campaign aims to highlight the issues surrounding mental health issues for under-18s across the area, amid concerns that the present service is struggling.

Mr Woodcock, who revealed last year that he has suffered episodes of depression, said young people experiencing difficulties with their mental health must not be “abandoned” by the government.

He said: “Since George Osborne became chancellor five years ago, a total of £85m has been lost from the budgets of mental health trusts and local authorities.

“Rates of self-harming have risen steeply and emergency admissions for psychiatric conditions have doubled over the past four years.

“Local authorities are facing budget cuts and having to make difficult choices, but there are some issues that should be sacrosanct – and the mental health of our young people is one.”

Last week, the Evening Mail highlighted a drop in spending on the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service, which provides specialist help for youngsters with moderate-to-severe emotional needs, of £500,000 last year.

This was in spite of referrals made to CAMHS doubling in the past five years contributing to long waiting lists for appointments and pressure on clinical staff to keep up with demand.

Health bosses in charge of the service say improvements have been made – with an out-of-hours service now in place and a system-wide review of provision across the county under way to ensure more early intervention services are available.

Copeland MP Jamie Reed has also stepped forward to add his voice to the Healthy Young Minds campaign – joining Mr Woodcock and Westmorland and Lonsdale representative and Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron who have already pledged their support.

Mr Reed said ensuring children and teenagers whose mental health was suffering could access help and support at the earliest stage was of “vital importance”.

“If we are to thrive as a nation, we must ensure the proper wellbeing of our children and young people today.

“No child should be let down by inaccessible and underfunded mental health services.

“Prevention and early interventions are key to ensuring that children and young people receive the care they need.

“With three-quarters of adult mental health illness beginning in childhood, it is wrong that children’s mental health services get only six per cent of the mental health budget.

“We need to look at ways of addressing this problem and this includes ensuring that all teachers are trained in child mental health so they can identify, support and refer children with mental health problems.”