A significant increase in children and young people presenting to accident and emergency units across England experiencing mental health crises has prompted warnings from medical professionals and charities.
Analysis by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, based on data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, documented 75,491 attendances at A&E by children and young people aged six to 17 for mental health concerns in 2025. This represents a 36% increase from the 55,525 recorded in 2019. Among the most pronounced growth has been in very young children aged six to nine. The overall rise substantially exceeds the 8% increase in total A&E attendances during the same period. Conditions prompting visits included self-harm, eating disorders, and emotional crises. Approximately 8% of these young patients, totaling more than 6,200 individuals, experienced waits exceeding 12 hours.
Medical experts and advocacy organizations have characterized the situation as reflecting systemic inadequacies in community mental health infrastructure. Officials from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine noted that children and young people facing mental health crises are arriving at emergency departments “by default” due to insufficient alternatives. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health emphasized that emergency departments were not designed as mental health crisis facilities and stressed the need for broader investment in children’s mental health services alongside enhanced staff training across health, social care, and education sectors.
Mental health charities have highlighted concerns about the delayed access to early intervention. Representatives noted that current service structures requiring young people to reach severe crisis thresholds before qualifying for support are ineffective. Proposals for expanding community-based hubs that integrate mental health services with employment, sports, and volunteering opportunities have been suggested as potential solutions.
Government officials indicated that improvements were underway, citing investment in school mental health teams and over 150 new mental health hubs established in community settings. A new mental health strategy was reported as forthcoming later in the summer.
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