{
  "id": 4967554,
  "title": "Rising numbers of children in mental health crisis ending up in A&E",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/rising-numbers-of-children-in-mental-health-crisis-ending-up-in-a-e-4967554",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-01T23:38:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC News",
    "slug": "bbc-news",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn5d2r0zqvdo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A concerning trend has emerged in England where an increasing number of children and young people are showing up in emergency departments with mental health crises, according to a recent analysis by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Between 2019 and 2025, there has been a 36% surge in the number of six to 17-year-olds attending A&E units for mental health issues such as self-harm, eating disorders, and emotional crises. In 2025 alone, there were 75,491 such attendances, up from 55,525 in 2019. Younger children, particularly those aged six to nine, experienced the most significant increase.\n\nThe Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) highlights that many of these children and young people were brought to A&E by families, carers, or the police. In some cases, these individuals exhibited aggressive behavior or challenging conduct. Over 6,200 children, or about 8% of all A&E visits, waited more than 12 hours, despite emergency departments not being equipped to handle such long waits. Dr. Sam Jones, an RCPCH officer for mental health, emphasizes the lack of crisis support and community mental health care, leading to these vulnerable individuals ending up in emergency departments.\n\nDr. Mark Buchanan of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine notes that these children and young people are often directed to A&E as a last resort. He stresses that they deserve care in settings designed for their specific needs. Mental health charity Mind's Gemma Byrne agrees, stating that A&E can be frightening for children in crisis and that spending more than 12 hours there is unacceptable. She calls for earlier support rather than waiting for children to reach critical points.\n\nThe government plans to release a new mental health strategy later in the summer, but the Department of Health and Social Care highlights that improvements are already underway, including investments in mental health teams for schools and more than 150 new community mental health hubs. Despite these efforts, mental health charity Anna Freud warns that the current system is inadequate and emphasizes the need for a new mental health strategy that prioritizes children and focuses on accessible, community-based support.",
  "summary": "NHS emergency departments are seeing more cases of self-harm, eating disorders and emotional distress in young people.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Health",
        "title": "Rising numbers of children in mental health crisis ending up in A&E",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/rising-numbers-of-children-in-mental-health-crisis-ending-up-in-a-e",
        "published": "2026-09-01T23:38:20.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}