Children left waiting for more than 12 hours in A&E in mental health crisis

Jump to contentAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleNHS figures analysed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health show 75,491 children aged 6 to 17 attended A&E in England with mental health concerns in 2025, up 36 per cent since 2019. The rate of mental health-related emergency department attendances grew fastest among the youngest children, rising from 3,870 in 2019 to 6,269 in 2025. The number of young patients waiting over 12 hours in A&E rose to 6,235 in 2025, with 338 waiting for more than three days. The RCPCH warned that emergency departments are unsuitable for mental health crises and urged ministers to focus on early intervention. The Department of Health and Social Care highlighted plans to expand school mental health support and open over 150 new facilities. In fullChildren as young as six attending A&E in mental health crisisMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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