Wales' children's hospital has seen a worrying rise in patients suffering with serious mental health problems, it has been revealed.
A nurse working at the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales in Cardiff said there has been an influx of young patients experiencing suicidal thoughts, eating disorders and self-harming.
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board admitted the pandemic has caused an increase in young patients needing urgent support with their mental health.
The anonymous medic claimed there was little support from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) or crisis teams in the region, leaving nurses at the children's hospital to care for them without specialist expertise.
They said: "We are woefully unsupported on the ground. Staff are burning out with physical and mental health problems. Some of these patients have been in hospital for over a month with nowhere to go. They do not receive the care they need. I'm scared to go to work."
In response, a spokesman Cardiff and Vale University Health Board admitted there had been a rise in children presenting to them with mental health problems during the pandemic - but he said none had come to harm at the hospital as a result.
"It has been recognised nationally that there was likely to be an increase in the number of children experiencing mental health challenges during the pandemic. This has also been the position here in Cardiff and the Vale," he said.
"We are currently seeing more children presenting to our services since the onset of the pandemic. We are working with children, their families, our staff and our local authority colleagues to ensure we are caring for young people."
The Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales is based at the University Hospital of Wales in Heath, Cardiff.
