England: Children’s Mental-Health A&E Attendances Rise 36%

What changed

Based on BBC News reporting, A&E attendances in England for mental-health concerns among six- to 17-year-olds rose from 55,525 in 2019 to 75,491 in 2025, a 36% increase. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health says more than 6,200 of those young people, around 8%, waited over 12 hours in 2025; the Department of Health and Social Care says it is investing in school mental-health teams and more than 150 community hubs.

Why This Matters

Our view: this is a reminder that general wellness habits belong well before a crisis, not as a substitute for crisis care. A regular sleep routine, a daily walk, a shared meal, a quiet check-in after school: none is a cure, and none can carry the weight of a child in acute distress. But small, repeatable moments can make it easier to notice when someone is struggling and to have a conversation before everything feels like an emergency.

The report’s most unsettling detail is the age range. Some of the biggest rises were among children aged six to nine. That changes the picture from a distant problem involving older teenagers to one that can show up in the ordinary clutter of family life: a child who cannot settle, a routine that suddenly falls apart, distress that spills into school or home.

If there is immediate danger or a child is in crisis, seek urgent professional help. For ongoing concerns, talk to a doctor or appropriate health professional; this is general wellness information, not medical advice.

Impact assessment

Children and young people in crisis face more time in an emergency setting that the paediatric college says was not designed for prolonged mental-health care. Families and carers can be left carrying the immediate burden when community support is unavailable or delayed. A&E teams, meanwhile, are handling growing demand for care that needs more than a waiting-room chair and a long night.

Scenarios

Most likely: If existing school-team and community-hub investments continue while the government prepares further plans, A&E will remain an important crisis safety net. Reporting so far does not show whether attendances or long waits will fall.

Upside: If the planned strategy and the cited community investments become timely, accessible support, fewer children may need to reach A&E in crisis. The test is whether later figures show lower attendance and fewer waits beyond 12 hours.

Downside: Unless community crisis support and specialist capacity expand enough to meet demand, children may continue arriving at A&E after other options fail, with long waits persisting or worsening.

What to watch next

• The government’s new mental-health strategy, particularly whether it specifies measures, timing or funding for children’s crisis support.
• Updated NHS England figures on mental-health-related A&E attendances among six- to 17-year-olds, compared with the 2025 total of 75,491.
• Updated data on prolonged waits, compared with more than 6,200 young people, around 8%, waiting over 12 hours in 2025.