Children attempting suicide in order to access mental health care
Pupils as young as 13 feel they need to attempt suicide to access child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs) – and schools are dealing with rising numbers of suicidal pupils, the children’s commissioner has said.
Her comments come after Tes revealed in June that children were risking their lives in a desperate bid to get help because thresholds to access Camhs have become so high.
This week, Anne Longfield said that “children with life-threatening conditions… just aren’t getting the support they need”, and called for funding to be ring-fenced to ensure that money gets to frontline services.
Ms Longfield was giving evidence to the House of Commons Health Select Committee, which is conducting an inquiry into Camhs.
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