Summary of Countrywide Supervision of Health Services for Children and Young People with Psychiatric Problems, in 2002

In this report, experience from nationwide supervision of health services for children and young people with mental problems is summarized. The Norwegian Board of Health also presents an evaluation of the findings and gives recommendations for the future.

Supervision of mental health services was carried out in 41 out-patient psychiatric clinics for children and young people and in 83 municipalities. The main findings were as follows:

• health centres and school health services do not offer adequate medical examinations of the patients in question
• cooperation between different levels in the health services is inadequate
• there is an almost total lack of individual patient plans. Such plans are a legal requirement
• the right to be assessed and to be given priority by the specialist health services seems to be met.

The Norwegian Board of Health concludes that there is great potential for improvement of health services for children and young people with mental problems. This applies particularly to the physician’s role and participation in municipal health services and in out-patient services, and to work with individual patient plans. The Norwegian Board of Health believes that it is a challenge for the Ministry of Health to clarify who has responsibility for individual patient plans, in order that legislative requirements are met. The Norwegian Board of Health questions whether the duty to give guidance should be placed at the level of the health trusts.