NHS doctors in England are warning of a sharp rise in children and young people attending A&E units due to a mental health crisis. The number of six to 17-year-olds presenting with significant distress, including self-harm, eating disorders, and emotional crises, increased by 36% between 2019 and 2025, according to analysis by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

This surge highlights a critical gap in community-based mental health support, forcing vulnerable children and adolescents into emergency departments ill-equipped to handle their complex needs. The RCPCH stated that A&E is not the optimal environment for these young patients, who often face waits exceeding 12 hours.

The analysis, based on Freedom of Information requests to NHS England, revealed 75,491 A&E attendances for mental health concerns in 2025, up from 55,525 in 2019. Notably, some of the most significant increases were observed in very young children aged six to nine. These rises far outpace the overall 8% increase in A&E attendances during the same period.

Dr. Sam Jones, RCPCH officer for mental health, described the situation as a national crisis requiring urgent intervention. She emphasized the lack of widespread mental health and crisis support services in many areas, leaving families with nowhere else to turn. Dr. Jones also called for increased investment and better cross-agency training for health, social care, and education staff.

Dr. Mark Buchanan of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine echoed these concerns, stating that children in mental health crises are ending up in A&E by default. He stressed that these young individuals deserve care tailored to their specific needs within appropriate settings.

Gemma Byrne from the mental health charity Mind described A&E as a frightening environment for anyone in mental health crisis, particularly children. She deemed the prolonged waits of over 12 hours unacceptable and pointed out that support is often not offered early enough, with services only engaging when young people are deemed 'unwell enough.'

Mind advocates for expanding youth hubs that consolidate various support services, including mental health, employment, and sports. The government has acknowledged the issue and plans to release a new mental health strategy this summer, alongside ongoing investments in school-based mental health teams and new community facilities.

However, the persistent reliance on emergency departments for mental health crises underscores the pressing need for systemic improvements. The current figures suggest that existing community resources are insufficient to meet the growing demand, leaving many children and their families struggling to access timely and appropriate care.