There has been a sharp rise in children and young people – some as young as six – 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.
Nicholas, a father-of-two, is someone who has seen the impact of this. His 10-year-old son has autism and suffers from mental health issues. It has caused a safety risk – he has attacked others and tried to jump out of windows.
He told BBC Your Voice: “There is no support when in crisis. GP won’t prescribe anything. We are stuck on a children’s mental health waiting list which is the only service who can provide interventions. The system is broken.
“When at A&E, half the time we don’t see a doctor because you have to wait so long. Once my son calms down, it’s best to go home rather than have him escalate again while waiting.”
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