Kesia Leatherbarrow
On 29 November 2014 Assistant Chief Constable Paul Netherton tweeted: “We have a 16-year-old girl suffering from mental health issues held in police custody. There are no beds available in the uk! #unacceptable:”
The tweet sparked outrage and national media coverage. But mental health professionals and charities weren’t surprised. Mental health services have always been underfunded and, since the start of austerity cutbacks in 2010, the situation has got worse. NHS spending on children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in England has fallen by more than 6 per cent in real terms since 2010. Because of bed shortages, mentally ill children may be treated hundreds of miles from home.
