Children and young people with long term conditions

Healthwatch Bradford, in partnership with Barnardo’s, explored the mental health support available for children and young people with long term physical conditions. During September and October 2015, the team gathered feedback from 25 people aged 11 to 25 years old through a discussion group and an online questionnaire. Their views and experiences of mental health services in relation to their long-term condition and the impact on their wellbeing were gathered.

The report indicates that children and young people’s long term physical conditions can have a significant impact on their emotional wellbeing and that support is not readily available. While the school nurse and community organisations were praised for being helpful, and CAMHs service is widely recognised, the respondents reported issues with waiting times to get an appointment. Generally, children and young people with long term conditions felt that mental health support was not provided alongside their care for their physical condition, but rather had to actively seek information about mental health support services themselves. The feedback revealed that patients felt that there should be holistic support where their physical and mental wellbeing are taken into account together.

Healthwatch Bradford made number of recommendations: All professions to consider emotional wellbeing when assessing and planning support services, in doing so, offer a mix of tailored services recognising both physical and mental health conditions. The report also suggested that commissioners regard the waiting times and range of services needed for young people, and for better provision of accessible information that can help support young people and families.

The report did not include a response from the service provider.