Rising numbers of children in mental health crisis ending up in A&E

There has been a sharp rise in children and young people attending A&E units in England in a mental health crisis, NHS doctors are warning.

The number of six to 17-year-olds turning up in significant distress for things like self-harm and eating disorders, or in emotional crisis, rose by 36% between 2019 and 2025, according to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health analysis.

Some faced waits of more than 12 hours once there. The college said A&Es were not the best place for them, but a lack of support in the community meant they often had nowhere else to turn.

The government said it was looking to improve services and would be setting out plans soon.

The analysis – based on figures provided under the Freedom of Information Act by NHS England – found there were 75,491 attendances at A&E by children and young people for a mental health concern in 2025.

That is up from 55,525 in 2019 with some of the biggest rises seen in very young children aged six to nine. The increases far outstrip the overall jump in attendances, which has risen by just over 8% over the period.

Doctors said the cases included children and young people brought in by families, carers and police – some of those in emotional crisis become aggressive or have challenging behaviour.

In total, more than 6,200, around 8%, waited over 12 hours in A&E.

RCPCH officer for mental health Dr Sam Jones said there was a lack of wider mental health care and, in particular, crisis support available in many parts of the country that meant these vulnerable children and young people were not getting the help they needed.

"Behind every one of these figures is a child or young person in distress and a family who didn't know where lese to turn.

"Emergency departments are a vital safety net, but they were never designed to be a place where children in mental health crisis wait for days at time.

"This is a national crisis that will only get worse without urgent intervention."

She said alongside greater investment in children's mental health services, staff from key agencies across health, social care and education needed better training in helping children who are struggling with their mental health.

Dr Mark Buchanan, of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said children and young people facing a mental health crisis were ending up in A&E by "default".

"They deserve care within systems and settings that are designed to meet their needs."

Gemma Byrne, of the mental health charity Mind, said: "A&E can be a frightening environment for anyone in mental health crisis, let alone a child. Making them spend more than 12 hours there is simply unacceptable.

She said children were not getting the support they need early enough.

"The current system, where many mental health services only provide support when young people are considered 'unwell enough' to qualify, clearly isn't working."

She said expanding the network of young future hubs, which bring together a range of support covering mental health, employment, sports and volunteering, was a crucial step.

The government is planning to publish a new mental health strategy later in the summer.

But a Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said improvements were already being made with investment in mental health teams for schools and more than 150 new mental health hubs in community locations such as banks and libraries.

"No child should have to reach crisis point before getting the support they need," he added.

Claire Evans, of Anna Freud, a mental health charity for children, young people and families, said the figures were deeply concerning.

"The new mental health strategy must place children at its heart, creating the conditions for lifelong positive mental health and accelerating investment in accessible, community-based support."