Decision details

Welsh Liberal Democrats Debate

Decision Maker: Plenary - Fourth Assembly

Status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Purpose:

Debates are one of the most frequent items of business on the Plenary agenda. Many types of debate are brought forward in Plenary, including:

  • Opposition party debates on a topic of their choice;

Other than in the case of Government debates, the time allocated for all other types of debates and their frequency are determined by the Business Committee

Decision:

The item started at 16.53

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM5485 Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that 1 in 10 children and adolescents will experience a mental health issue and recognises the importance of early intervention to support young people in reaching their full potential.

 

2. Regrets the failure of the Welsh Government to address key findings from the 2009 review of Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and notes the significant concerns within the 2013 follow up review of safety issues.

 

3. Regrets that over the past year, the number of vulnerable young people in Wales waiting more than 14 weeks to access child and adolescent psychiatric services has almost quadrupled, from 199 in January 2013 to 736 in January 2014.

 

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

 

a) address the inequitable variation in the availability and accessibility of CAMHS in Wales;

 

b) investigate the waiting times between a child or young person’s first assessment with CAMHS and their subsequent service referral;

 

c) review the governance arrangements for CAMHS inpatient units and out of area placements;

 

d) routinely publish readmission statistics to help inform trends in the patient discharging system;

 

e) ensure that all clinical staff within CAMHS have undertaken appropriate safeguarding checks;

 

f) establish a firmer procedure for health boards to report on inappropriate placements on adult mental health wards;

 

g) clarify the status of the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services;

 

h) consider the introduction of mental health education within the school curriculum to raise awareness and help address issues of stigma; and

 

i) introduce a national framework to ensure continuity of treatment in the transition between CAMHS and Adult Mental Health Services, including a streamlined information sharing system between providers.

For

Abstain

Against

Total

12

0

37

49

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

 

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:

 

2. Recognises the steps being taken by successive Welsh Governments to improve mental health services for young people; and

 

3. Reaffirms the partnership approach, which sees Welsh Government, health, education, local government and the third sector working together as partners to address the continuing challenges of providing effective services in this area.

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

25

8

16

49

Amendment 1 was agreed.

Amendment 2 - Elin Jones (Ceredigion)

 

Insert as new point 2 and renumber accordingly:

 

Notes that the Children's Commissioner has repeatedly expressed concern about support services for children and adolescents with mental health issues.

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

49

0

0

49

Amendment 2 was agreed.

Amendment 3 - Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Regrets that real term cuts to the health budget have the potential to hinder the ability of Welsh Local Health Boards to deliver improvements in CAMHS.

A vote was taken on Amendment 3:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

12

0

37

49

Amendment 3 was not agreed.

Amendment 4 - Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Notes the commitment of the Welsh Government to ring-fence spending on mental health services and calls upon the Minister for Health and Social Services to publish information to demonstrate that it is monitoring and delivering this commitment and how it is impacting upon CAMHS services.

A vote was taken on Amendment 4:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

49

0

0

49

Amendment 4 was agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM5485 Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that 1 in 10 children and adolescents will experience a mental health issue and recognises the importance of early intervention to support young people in reaching their full potential.

 

2. Notes that the Children's Commissioner has repeatedly expressed concern about support services for children and adolescents with mental health issues.

 

3. Recognises the steps being taken by successive Welsh Governments to improve mental health services for young people; and

 

4. Reaffirms the partnership approach, which sees Welsh Government, health, education, local government and the third sector working together as partners to address the continuing challenges of providing effective services in this area.

 

5. Notes the commitment of the Welsh Government to ring-fence spending on mental health services and calls upon the Minister for Health and Social Services to publish information to demonstrate that it is monitoring and delivering this commitment and how it is impacting upon CAMHS services.

 

For

Abstain

Against

Total

25

4

20

49

The motion as amended was agreed.

Publication date: 02/04/2014

Date of decision: 02/04/2014

Decided at meeting: 02/04/2014 - Plenary - Fourth Assembly