Mental Health Crisis Surge
England Emergency Room Mental Health Visits Surge Thirty-Six Percent Since Two Thousand Nineteen
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Key Points
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There were 6,269 A&E attendances for mental health concerns among six- to nine-year-olds in 2025, up 62% from 3,870 in 2019—the fastest growth among children and young people.
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Prolonged waits in A&E have surged: 6,235 children and young people waited more than 12 hours in 2025 (up from 1,964 in 2019); those waiting over 24 hours rose by about 320%, and those staying three days or longer increased by around 514%.
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"A damning indictment of a failing system" is how one paediatrician described the rise in mental health crises among children attending A&E, underscoring that emergency departments are not designed to meet such needs.
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The surge in crisis presentations has been linked to broader factors, including the period since the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted routines, education and access to services for children.
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The government-commissioned review of ADHD, autism and mental health services notes waiting times for ADHD assessments have risen dramatically (described as almost 13-fold), as part of the signals for broader service reform.
England's emergency departments saw 75,491 mental health crisis visits in 2025, a 36% jump since 2019, according to Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health data. Children ages six to nine drove the surge with a stunning 62% increase. But the real crisis is in the waiting rooms: nearly 6,235 young patients waited over 12 hours in 2025, compared to just 1,964 in 2019.
One paediatrician called it "a damning indictment of a failing system." Emergency departments were never designed to handle mental health crises. Experts say the post-pandemic disruption of routines and education, combined with a shortage of accessible community care, has pushed families toward A&E as a last resort.
Young Children Flooding A&E at Record Rates
Six- to nine-year-olds increased from 3,870 ED visits in 2019 to 6,269 in 2025—the fastest-growing age group. Ages nine to 15 jumped 41%. Medscape reports children are arriving with self-harm, eating disorders, and acute anxiety. This cohort has never known life before social media and pandemic lockdowns.
The data reveal a system overwhelmed. NHS England figures show the youngest patients waiting the longest. Some children stay three days or more—a 514% increase since 2019. A&E beds become holding pens, not treatment centers.
Waiting Times Now Stretch Days, Not Hours
In 2019, about 1 in 29 children waited over 12 hours. By 2025, it was 1 in 13. Those waiting more than 24 hours spiked 320%. Nearly 514% more patients now wait three days or longer, Hounsllow Herald reports. Emergency departments have no beds, no staff trained in pediatric mental health, and no pathway out.
A Broken Pathway From Home to Help
The real failure lies upstream. Waiting times for ADHD assessments have jumped nearly 13-fold, leaving families without diagnosis, support, or community care. Nursing Times notes that accessible mental health services for children have shrunk. When crises hit, parents have nowhere to turn but A&E.
Post-pandemic disruption compounded the problem. School routines broke. Educational support vanished. Social connections fractured. For vulnerable children, these losses triggered anxiety, depression, and self-harm. Now the government-commissioned review promises action on ADHD, autism, and mental health services. But experts say the system needs urgent investment in early intervention and community care pathways to keep children out of emergency rooms.
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