A growing number of children and young people ending up in A&E with mental health concerns because of a lack of alternative options is a ‘national crisis’, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has warned.

NHS figures obtained under a freedom of information request show a particularly steep rise in six-to-nine-year-olds, which the College said was ‘alarming’ and ‘unacceptable’.

The data also shows increases in the length of waits in A&E for children and young people attending for mental health concerns.

In 2025, 75,491 children and young people aged six to 17 years attended A&E with a recorded mental health issue compared with 55,525 in 2019, a 36% increase.

For six-to-nine-year-olds, figures rose by 62% from 3,870 in 2019 to 6,269 in 2025, faster than any other age group, the RCPCH said.

Waits longer than 12 hours increased 217%, from 1,964 in 2019 to 6,235 in 2025 and those longer than 72 hours rose by 514% from 55 to 338

It points to a system under growing strain in emergency care as well as across the mental health, community and social care services that should be supporting children before a crisis point is reached, the College said.

Dr Sam Jones, RCPCH officer for mental health said: ‘Behind every one of these figures is a child or young person in distress, and a family who didn’t know where else to turn.

‘This is a national crisis that will only get worse without urgent intervention from government and NHS leaders.

‘No child should be spending 12 hours or more in A&E let alone days to weeks while they wait for the right support.’

A report in July revealed that for the first time, more than a million children in England have been referred to mental health services in a year with demand far outstripping capacity.

Dr Mark Buchanan, chair of the RCEM Mental Health Sub Committee said: ‘All too often we see patients ending up in ED by default, or staying too long in ED because the services they need are not available or accessible.

‘Long stays often follow because of disputes between health, mental health and social care services, which mean the young person at the centre of it all falls through cracks that should not be there.

‘No child should be left in an emergency department because the right services aren’t there when needed, or because there is nobody else willing or able to take responsibility for them.’

Gemma Byrne, policy and influencing manager at Mind, said children were not getting the support they need early enough.

‘We need to shift to a model of same-day open access mental health support, when anyone who needs help can get quality care straight away.’

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘No child should have to reach crisis point before getting the support they need.

‘That’s why we’re making it easier to access mental health support in schools and colleges, and opening more than 150 new mental health facilities, including community centres offering same-day, walk-in support – to help young people get help earlier and closer to home.

‘Later this year, our Mental Health Strategy will set out our long-term plans to build a system that helps people earlier and ensures fewer young people end up needing emergency care.’

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‘Alarming’ rise in children attending A&E in mental health crisis