<p>
	A 12-year-old child has been admitted to an adult psychiatric unit because there are no children&#39;s beds available.</p>
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	The young boy was previously being cared for in a children&#39;s facility but was transferred to University Hospital Waterford for emergency medical treatment last week.</p>
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	When deemed fit enough for transfer out of the medical unit, his family were told that there were no children&#39;s psychiatric beds available in the country.</p>
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	He was then admitted to the adult psychiatric unit at the hospital yesterday afternoon.</p>
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	The acute facility currently houses a number of &quot;dangerous and highly unstable individuals&quot;.</p>
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	&quot;This is the youngest child that has ever been admitted to the unit. Before him, there was a 14-year-old,&quot; said a source.</p>
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	A spokesperson for the HSE said it could not comment on individual cases.</p>
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	The boy was admitted at 2pm yesterday and is expected to be there until after the weekend at the earliest.</p>
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	ISPCC director of services Caroline O&#39;Sullivan described the case as &quot;beyond appalling&quot;.</p>
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	&quot;We know that child adolescent psychiatric services are at crisis point in Ireland, but this is extremely disturbing,&quot; she said.</p>
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	&quot;No child should ever be placed in an adult unit no matter what the circumstance is. To be put in a situation where adults around him are unstable is beyond belief.&quot;</p>
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	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/boy-12-admitted-to-adult-psychiatric-ward-34277838.html">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/boy-12-admitted-to-adult-psychiatric-ward-34277838.html</a></p>
