Anna Freud responds to a rise in number of children attending A&E with mental health concerns
Claire Evans, our Acting CEO, says government needs to put children’s mental health at the heart of its new mental health strategy.
New figures have today (2 September 2026) revealed a sharp rise in the number of children and young people attending A&E departments in England with a mental health concern.
The NHS England data obtained through a Freedom of Information request by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) show attendances of six to 17-year-olds for their mental health rose from 55,525 in 2019 to 75,491 in 2025 – an increase of 36%.
Attendances rose fastest of all among the youngest children, those aged six to nine, climbing from 3,870 to 6,269, an increase of 62%.
The figures emerge only days after Anna Freud released polling from parents revealing that only one in 10 say they have enough help for their child’s mental health and wellbeing.
Our response
Claire Evans, Acting CEO at Anna Freud, said:
“Today’s figures are deeply concerning and yet more evidence of the work urgently needed to protect and nurture children’s mental health. But numbers only ever tell part of the story. Behind each one is a distressed child, parent or carer so concerned about their wellbeing that their only option was an accident and emergency department. These emergency departments carry out incredible work, but they are not set up to provide the child-centred care and support these families need and deserve.
“The government needs to act now. The right help at the right time can make a significant difference to children and young people’s mental health. Investment is needed to not only increase access to specialist services but also to fund effective prevention and early intervention. The new mental health strategy must also place children at its heart, creating the conditions for lifelong positive mental health and accelerating investment in accessible, community-based support.
“Today’s shocking figures demand action and should be a stark warning to government that they need to match the scale of the problem with equal ambition.”
Find out more
Anna Freud is a mental health charity, transforming care for children and young people through science, collaboration and clinical innovation.
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