The Department of Health is set to introduce legislation that will allow 16- and 17-year-olds to access mental health services without the consent of their parents. The change will be part of a draft bill to amend mental health legislation introduced in 2001 and will be forwarded to the Mental Health Commission before getting final government approval.
A recommendation made in 2015 by the commission included correcting an anomaly that meant those aged 16 and 17 needed parental consent for mental health treatment but not for physical issues.
Shari McDaid, director of Mental Health Reform, has called on the government to introduce the legislation as a matter of urgency. She claimed many young patients do not receive the treatment they require.