Record numbers of children, some as young as six, are experiencing mental health crises and seeking help from emergency departments in England, according to new figures. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) described the situation as 'deeply alarming' and a 'scandal' that many young people are facing prolonged waits for care after reaching crisis point.
The RCPCH's analysis of NHS England data reveals a 36 percent increase in mental health-related A&E attendances for children aged six to 17 between 2019 and 2025. In 2025, 75,491 young patients attended emergency departments with a recorded mental health concern, up from 55,525 in 2019.
The rise has been most pronounced among the youngest age group, six to nine years old. In this cohort, A&E attendances for mental health concerns surged by 62 percent, from 3,870 in 2019 to 6,269 in 2025. Experts at RCPCH highlighted this as 'particularly worrying' due to the vulnerability of young children's neurodevelopment and the potential for long-term suffering without early intervention.
Escalating Waits in Emergency Departments
The data also indicates a significant increase in the length of time children are waiting in A&E. The number of children and young people waiting more than 12 hours in emergency departments rose from 1,964 in 2019 to 6,235 in 2025. Furthermore, the number waiting three or more days for appropriate mental health support and a safe discharge destination escalated from 55 to 338 during the same period.
RCPCH officials emphasized that A&E departments are not equipped to manage children and young people experiencing mental health crises. Dr. Sam Jones, an officer for mental health at RCPCH, stated, "Behind every one of these figures is a child or young person in distress, and a family who didn't know where else to turn." He added, "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 a time."
Dr. Ronny Cheung, RCPCH officer for health services, called the findings "a wake-up call for Government." He warned, "This is a national crisis that will only get worse without urgent intervention from government and NHS leaders. No child should be spending 12 hours or more in A&E let alone days to weeks while they wait for the right support. The scandal has to end."
Mental health charity Mind echoed these concerns, with Gemma Byrne stating, "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."
Government Response and Future Plans
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged that "No child should have to reach crisis point before getting the support they need." The department highlighted efforts to improve access to mental health support in schools and colleges and the opening of new community mental health facilities offering same-day, walk-in support. The spokesperson added that the upcoming Mental Health Strategy will outline long-term plans to facilitate earlier intervention and reduce the need for emergency care.
The RCPCH is urging the government to prioritize prevention and early support in its upcoming Mental Health Strategy to reduce the number of children reaching crisis point. Mind advocates for a shift towards a model of same-day, open-access mental health support to ensure young people can receive immediate quality care when needed.