Mark Smyth: Camhs report came as no surprise to frontline clinicians

Adequate staffing is a core requirement of any service that aims to be responsive to the needs of young people but the reality is that most Camhs teams are not adequately staffed to required levels to meet demand

Respecting the rights of young people with mental health problems is more than just words on a page, it’s a lived experience. File picture

The publication of the Mental Health Commission's (MHC) report into Child & Adolescent Mental Health services (Camhs) was welcome and very little of it was a surprise to frontline clinicians.

You will likely be familiar with the philosophical question, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?". This epitomises the situation for clinicians in Camhs who have felt their voices and concerns about the system they work in have been unheard for too many years.