Concerns over recruitment could lead to responsibility for children’s mental health services in Bolton being transferred away from the hospital.
The Bolton NHS Foundation Trust (FT) has been home to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) since 2011, operating from the Royal Bolton Hospital.
At a meeting of the Bolton Health Overview and Adult Social Care scrutiny committee, chief officer Su Long revealed the service had struggled with staff recruitment and retention.
This has lead to problems, the most notable of which is increased waiting times for the youngsters referred to the service.
Ms Long said: “The only part of the Care Quality Commission inspection of Bolton FT which came out with levels of concern was CAMHS, and that was recruitment, retention and training of staff and links with delays in seeing patients.
“With the Bolton FT not being a mental health provider service, it does make it difficult to recruit the staff needed for CAMHS. It’s a national problem.
“The key element around the service is recruiting and sustaining staff. It needs to be a strong provider with links in the mental heath services.
Full story in the Lancashire Telegraph, 27 March 2017