English: Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this debate. Delivering high-quality and effective mental health services for children and young people must be a greater priority. There needs to be a greater focus on prevention, not just reactive provisions, supporting good mental health as part of a programme that ensures measures are put in place to reduce the likelihood of ill-health occurring in the first place. There have been calls for a review into the transition phase between young person and adult services within the NHS. The ITV news recently covered the story of a young woman with autism. She called for a change in the system, so young people moved into adult care don't experience a significant drop in the services they receive. It was suggested that psychiatric sessions were reduced from one hour to just 10 minutes. This can be significant for young people at such a vulnerable period. In response, the Welsh Government announced an additional £50 million for mental health services in the period 2022-23. But what is the strategy to make sure this money is used effectively to allow young people to make a smooth transition into adult services? And how confident are Ministers that they are doing all they can to reduce the risk of harm to those moving from child to adult care? I want to turn to the challenges and the impact on young people. The YoungMinds survey report found that 80 per cent of children and young people with existing mental health problems agreed their mental health had deteriorated during the lockdowns. This figure does not include new cases of mental health decline. Ninety-one per cent of young people have accessed a mental health service at some point. Young people from low-income households seem to be particularly affected. Isolation from friends and family, and the shutdown of vital services, have contributed to this. Worryingly, nearly half of young people experiencing mental health declines have used negative coping techniques such as self-harm. Some have experienced significant dietary changes. Even though isolation is a major contributory factor to mental health deteriorations, over half now feel anxious about returning to normal life. It is clear that the impact of the pandemic will be felt for a significant time. These facts are concerning and must be considered by the Minister planning for the future of mental health. In February 2022, a Senedd report found that 60 per cent of children and adolescents who required specialist care had to wait more than four weeks for a first appointment. I have a few suggestions, which I hope the Minister will consider. The Welsh Government need to consider a new mental health Act, which would update current legislation and would include the latest thinking about mental health provisions in Wales. The UK Government are currently making changes to the Mental Health Act 1983, which must be considered when changing the mental health legislation here in Wales. To ensure a new mental health Bill is fit for purpose, the overarching principles should be: ensuring patients' views and choices are respected; ensuring that the Act is used in the least restrictive way possible; ensuring parity between mental and physical health; and lastly, that the patient should be treated as an individual. Additionally, the Welsh Government should consider changes to section 136 of the 1983 Act, which could help significantly reduce the number of detentions. For someone to be detained, it must be clear that the best interest of the patient can only be achieved through detention. This principle will reduce 'warehousing' of patients, allowing for better care for those who need to be detained, and remove undue stress for those who don't need it. The Welsh Conservatives welcome dialogue between Westminster and Cardiff. However, mental health is devolved, and this provides an excellent opportunity to deliver a mental health Act that not only includes the benefits of the UK Government proposals, and that ensures parity between mental and physical health, but that is also fit for Wales. We also need to ensure collaboration with mental health charities such as YoungMinds, who, with additional funding from the Welsh Government, can provide specialist support for children and young people. This will address the prevention agenda. For children, a poor experience can be life-changing, so let us up our game. Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch am y cyfle i gyfrannu at y ddadl hon. Rhaid rhoi mwy o flaenoriaeth i ddarparu gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl effeithiol o ansawdd uchel i blant a phobl ifanc. Mae angen canolbwyntio mwy ar atal, nid darpariaethau adweithiol yn unig, cefnogi iechyd meddwl da fel rhan o raglen sy'n sicrhau bod mesurau'n cael eu rhoi ar waith i leihau'r tebygolrwydd y bydd afiechyd yn digwydd yn y lle cyntaf. Bu galw am adolygiad o'r cyfnod pontio rhwng gwasanaethau pobl ifanc a gwasanaethau i oedolion yn y GIG. Yn ddiweddar, ymdriniodd newyddion ITV â stori dynes ifanc ag awtistiaeth. Galwai am newid y system, fel nad yw pobl ifanc sy'n cael eu symud i ofal oedolion yn profi gostyngiad sylweddol yn y gwasanaethau y maent yn eu cael. Awgrymwyd bod sesiynau seiciatrig yn cael eu lleihau o un awr i ddim ond 10 munud. Gall hyn fod yn sylweddol i bobl ifanc mewn cyfnod mor fregus. Mewn ymateb, cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru £50 miliwn ychwanegol ar gyfer gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl yn y cyfnod 2022-23. Ond beth yw'r strategaeth i sicrhau bod yr arian hwn yn cael ei ddefnyddio'n effeithiol i ganiatáu i bobl ifanc bontio'n ddidrafferth i wasanaethau oedolion? A pha mor hyderus yw Gweinidogion eu bod yn gwneud popeth yn eu gallu i leihau'r risg o niwed i'r rhai sy'n symud o ofal plant i ofal oedolion? Rwyf am droi at yr heriau a'r effaith ar bobl ifanc. Canfu adroddiad arolwg YoungMinds fod 80 y cant o blant a phobl ifanc a oedd eisoes â phroblemau iechyd meddwl yn cytuno bod eu hiechyd meddwl wedi dirywio yn ystod y cyfyngiadau symud. Nid yw'r ffigur hwn yn cynnwys achosion newydd o ddirywiad mewn iechyd meddwl. Mae 91 y cant o bobl ifanc wedi defnyddio gwasanaeth iechyd meddwl ar ryw adeg. Mae'n ymddangos bod pobl ifanc o gartrefi incwm isel yn cael eu heffeithio'n arbennig. Mae ynysu oddi wrth ffrindiau a theulu, a chau gwasanaethau hanfodol, wedi cyfrannu at hyn. Mae'n destun pryder fod bron hanner y bobl ifanc sy'n profi dirywiad mewn iechyd meddwl wedi defnyddio technegau ymdopi negyddol fel hunan-niweidio. Mae rhai wedi profi newidiadau dietegol sylweddol. Er bod unigedd yn ffactor sy'n cyfrannu'n sylweddol at ddirywiad mewn iechyd meddwl, mae dros hanner bellach yn teimlo'n bryderus ynglŷn â dychwelyd i fywyd normal. Mae'n amlwg y bydd effaith y pandemig i'w theimlo am gyfnod sylweddol. Mae'r ffeithiau hyn yn peri pryder a rhaid i'r Gweinidog eu hystyried wrth gynllunio ar gyfer dyfodol iechyd meddwl. Ym mis Chwefror 2022, canfu adroddiad yn y Senedd fod 60 y cant o blant a phobl ifanc a oedd angen gofal arbenigol yn gorfod aros dros bedair wythnos am apwyntiad cyntaf. Mae gennyf ambell awgrym y gobeithiaf y bydd y Gweinidog yn eu hystyried. Mae angen i Lywodraeth Cymru ystyried Deddf iechyd meddwl newydd, a fyddai'n diweddaru'r ddeddfwriaeth bresennol ac a fyddai'n cynnwys y syniadau diweddaraf ynglŷn â darpariaethau iechyd meddwl yng Nghymru. Mae Llywodraeth y DU wrthi'n gwneud newidiadau i Ddeddf Iechyd Meddwl 1983, a rhaid eu hystyried wrth newid y ddeddfwriaeth iechyd meddwl yma yng Nghymru. Er mwyn sicrhau bod Bil iechyd meddwl newydd yn addas i'r diben, dylai'r egwyddorion cyffredinol: sicrhau bod barn a dewisiadau cleifion yn cael eu parchu; sicrhau bod y Ddeddf yn cael ei defnyddio yn y ffordd leiaf cyfyngol posibl; sicrhau cydraddoldeb rhwng iechyd meddwl ac iechyd corfforol; ac yn olaf, dylid trin y claf fel unigolyn. Yn ogystal, dylai Llywodraeth Cymru ystyried newidiadau i adran 136 o Ddeddf 1983, a allai helpu i leihau'n sylweddol nifer y bobl dan gadwad. Er mwyn i rywun gael ei roi dan gadwad, rhaid iddi fod yn glir mai dim ond drwy fod dan gadwad y gellir sicrhau lles gorau'r claf. Bydd yr egwyddor hon yn lleihau 'warysu' cleifion, gan ganiatáu ar gyfer gwell gofal i'r rhai y mae angen eu rhoi dan gadwad, a dileu straen diangen i'r rhai nad oes angen eu rhoi dan gadwad. Mae'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn croesawu deialog rhwng San Steffan a Chaerdydd. Fodd bynnag, mae iechyd meddwl wedi'i ddatganoli, ac mae hwn yn gyfle gwych i gyflwyno Deddf iechyd meddwl sy'n cynnwys manteision argymhellion Llywodraeth y DU, ac sy'n sicrhau cydraddoldeb rhwng iechyd meddwl ac iechyd corfforol, ond sydd hefyd yn addas i Gymru. At hynny, mae angen inni sicrhau cydweithrediad ag elusennau iechyd meddwl fel YoungMinds, sydd, gyda chyllid ychwanegol gan Lywodraeth Cymru, yn gallu darparu cymorth arbenigol i blant a phobl ifanc. Bydd hyn yn mynd i'r afael â'r agenda atal. I blant, gall profiad gwael newid bywyd, felly gadewch inni wella'r ffordd y gwnawn hyn. Diolch.