Topic Lifecycle: Dormant
This topic is currently dormant in the news cycle. It was last covered on Monday 21 September 2026 and has not appeared in recent broadcasts.
Coverage trend (last 30 days)
How much coverage this topic got from each channel over the past month.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Recent stories
The latest story timelines linked to this topic, newest activity first.
What was reported
A plain summary of this topic, built from the channels that covered it.
New analysis of NHS figures by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health shows an increase in the number of children aged 6 to 17 attending emergency departments in England with a recorded mental health concern. The number rose from around 55,000 in 2019 to around 75,000 in 2025, a rise of about 36%. The fastest increase was among the youngest children. The college said the figures show more children than ever are reaching crisis point. There were also increases in long waits, with more than 300 children waiting over 72 hours for appropriate care in 2025, up from 55 in 2019. The Department of Health and Social Care said it is 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. It said a mental health strategy later this year would set out long-term plans to help people earlier and reduce the need for emergency care. A government review into ADHD, autism and mental health services is expected to be published soon. The college is calling for a joined-up approach across children's health and welfare.
Key Claims by Channel
| Claim |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 3 channels | |||
| Children's A&E mental health visits rose from 55,000 in 2019 to 75,000 in 2025, a 36% increase. | |||
| Reported by a few · 2 channels | |||
| The Department of Health and Social Care said it is 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. | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| A government review into ADHD, autism and mental health services is expected to be published imminently. | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Only on one channel | |||
| More than 300 children waited over 72 hours for mental health care in A&E last year, up from 55 in 2019. | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| The government is opening more than 150 new mental health facilities and will publish a mental health strategy later this year. | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
| The Royal College described the rise as unacceptable, with problems including self-harm and eating disorders. | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The fastest rise in A&E mental health attendance was among under-9s, rising from 3,870 in 2019 to more than 6,000 last year. | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said the figures show more children than ever are reaching crisis point. | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The Department of Health and Social Care said its mental health strategy later this year would set out long-term plans to build a system that helps people earlier and ensures fewer young people end up needing emergency care. | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Dr Samantha Jones said children presenting to A&E with mental health concerns typically have disorders of mood, self-harm or suicidal ideation, and eating disorders or disordered eating as a fourth category. | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Dr Samantha Jones said families come to A&E as a last resort because they feel there is nowhere else to go. | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Children can become stuck in hospital because there is nowhere safe to discharge them to, or carers don't feel they can keep them safe. | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by Sky News | |
This is a cross-channel consensus summary, not an objective account. Consensus can be uniformly wrong, or omit what only one channel covered.
Timeline
Where this topic appeared. Cells show coverage time and are darker when there was more coverage.
| Date | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 21 September 2026 | — | — | — | — | 22s 0.7% | — | — | — |
| Wednesday 2 September 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4m 45s 5.8% | 2m 27s 2.5% |
| Monday 29 June 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1m 56s 4.3% | — |