THE report that so many young people with mental health issues are being treated in adult wards is a concern.

It is one the health board has recognised and apologised for those occasions when it has occured.

It is clear that there is not enough provision for mental health admissions for young people or the numbers wouldn’t be rising as they have for the last few years.

What has also increased is demand, with the number of referrals increasing from 1800 to 5000 in three years.

An increase of that scale cannot be ignored and means that the service provision and resources allocated to child and adolescent mental health have to be reviewed.

Mental health issues are a concern for anyone experiencing problems and a hospital admission is a very serious step.

For young people this can be even more concerning, and it is vital they are treated an environment appropriate for their needs.

The health board has recognised that an adult ward is not such a place, but when the unit they should go to is full then there is no alternative.

The issue is capacity and the need for flexibility so that there is always some slack to ensure there is room for a patient whenever it is needed.

With resources being scarce it is tempting to strive for maximum capacity in our hospitals.

Financially it might make sense but it does not for patient care.