SDLP Mental Health Spokesperson Mark H Durkan has said that it is unacceptable that mental health services in Northern Ireland are failing young people and their families.He said: “The case of 16-year-old Chloe in the Belfast Trust is a poignant but all too familiar example of how important it is that our mental health services are open and available to young people.
“It is simply unacceptable that some young people and their families are not receiving the support that they so desperately need.
“I have constantly and consistently raised the need for more resources for mental health to ensure better accessibility to existing services and the creation of new services and to support groups working hard to provide support and guidance to people who are suffering.
“More resources must be directed towards mental health services in the North and we must remember and acknowledge that mental health affects all people, no matter how old they are.
“In England, children and young people will soon be able to access mental health support at school or college due to the £300 million overhaul of mental health services for young people over the next three years.
“It is imperative that children and young people in Northern Ireland are given the same opportunities for support,” added the Foyle MLA.
