Publish date: 21 May 2026
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals’ Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) has been rated Good following an inspection by the CQC.
The rating is an improvement from Requires Improvement, and inspectors highlighted a number of positive areas including:
- Effective relationships with other services, such as safeguarding and schools
- Improved waiting times
- Trust colleagues were kind and compassionate and focused on the needs of young people and their families
- Feedback was used to improve the service.
However, inspectors highlighted concerns including recruitment impacting on service delivery and the location of the CAMHS waiting room. The Trust is committed to safety in all services and has already taken steps to address the issues raised, focused on the way risk assessments and care planning for our patients are carried out.
Maggie Oldham, Chief Executive of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, said: “Colleagues in our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services work with some of our most vulnerable patients and the change in rating from Requires Improvement to Good following the inspection in November 2025 reflects their tremendous commitment.
“We have worked hard to ensure our patients are fully supported, and the inspectors have highlighted a number of positive areas including our relationship with other services such as safeguarding and local schools, an improvement in waiting times and the kindness and compassion of colleagues in the service.
“We are carefully examining the inspectors’ report and have already introduced a number of changes to make sure our young people continue to be supported, focused on the way we carry out risk assessments and care planning for our patients.”
The full inspection report can be read here: Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust HTML report for assessment AP18186 - Specialist community mental health services for children and young people - Care Quality Commission.
