Teenagers with severe mental health issues are being turned away from hospitals because there are not enough beds, an inquiry in Perth has heard. A parliamentary committee is examining whether 20 mental health beds for children under 16 years of age are enough at the new Perth Children’s Hospital. The inquiry was prompted after concerned parents developed a petition urging the State Government to fund additional beds. Christine Brown’s 16-year-old daughter Caitlyn has been in and out of care for more than three years, and has attempted suicide several times. Ms Brown said she believed there was a chronic shortage of adolescent and youth beds. She told the committee her daughter was often turned away from hospital because there was not enough space. “If you took your child to a hospital with a broken leg, nobody is going to say to you, ‘I’m sorry there’s no bed, go home’,” she said. “But with mental illness your child can come to you and say, ‘I’m suicidal, I need help’ and they’ll say, ‘I’m sorry there’s no beds at the moment’. “Children that are in crisis, mental health crisis, need access to hospital care, that’s the best place for their treatment.”