Six-year-olds in mental health crisis drive surge to England’s A&E

A Royal College analysis shows a 36% rise in six- to seventeen-year-olds attending England’s A&E in mental health crises from 2019 to 2025, with 75,491 attendances in 2025. Many waited over 12 hours; experts say A&Es aren’t equipped for such crises and blame a lack of community support. Calls for urgent investment in children’s mental health services and hubs accompany government plans to publish a new mental health strategy and expand mental health teams in schools and community locations.