A coroner has requested a change to mental health services in the Milton Keynes area, following the suicide of a 16-year old boy after a GP referral to CAMHS was rejected.
Sam Grant was referred by his GP after presenting with irritability and anger, plus a report that he was close to being excluded from school. CAMHS rejected the referral as he did not meet the threshold of ‘moderate to severe’ mental health issues. The GP followed up and suggested other services that Mr Grant could access voluntarily, but Mr Grant did not access any of these and later took his own life.
The coroner highlighted gaps within the local mental health provision, including a reduction in healthcare provision at Mr Grant’s school, and in particular the removal of a medically qualified person, meaning that health information is no longer shared between the school and GP surgery.
Full story in Pulse, 22 October 2019