Hospitals and psychiatric institutions In this context, the NPM questioned the practice of admitting and treating predominantly minor patients with psychiatric diagnoses (depressive phase, ADHD, conduct disorder) in the psychosomatic sections of child and adolescent psychiatric wards. Psychosomatic sections in psychiatric wards Since further treatment in the event of an acute serious psychiatric disease that requires forced placement and measures that restrict freedom is not possible in these psychosomatic sections, the affected minors have to be accommodated in a child and adolescent psychiatric ward. In Styria for example, this means that such a transfer from the psychosomatic section of the Hochsteiermark/ Standort Leoben General Hospital and the University Hospital Graz, where a child and adolescent psychiatric ward is already planned, to the Süd-West/ Standort Süd Regional Hospital is required. This transfer is undoubtedly stressful for those involved and can also be perceived as punishment. There is a similar problem in Carinthia because minor patients have to be transferred to the child and adolescent psychiatric ward at the Klagenfurt Regional Hospital in the event of massive crises during their stay in the psychosomatic section of the paediatric ward in Villach Regional Hospital. The situation in these wards is exacerbated by the fact that they are very confined. The critical lack of space is also evident in the use of beds in hallways and extra beds in shared rooms. This means that psychiatrically ill children and adolescents with special needs are regularly placed in rooms with somatically ill children. The NPM thus considers it desirable that, as a first step, psychiatric beds are clearly designated as such in psychosomatic sections and fully taken care of by psychiatrically trained staff and medical specialists for child and adolescent psychiatry. In the medium term, there are plans to set up a separate child and adolescent psychiatric ward in both Villach Regional Hospital and Hochsteiermark/Standort Leoben Regional Hospital. This would improve regional care on the one hand, and help avoiding patient transports in the interest of the affected children on the other. XX  The intended increase in bed capacity in the child and adolescent psychiatry area should be implemented quickly. XX  Strengthening and the regionalisation of the structures for outpatient and day-care clinic child and adolescent psychiatry are urgently required. XX  Training capacity must be stepped up to meet increasing demand and expansion of services in the area of child and adolescent psychiatry. 55