FOI requests by the union revealed half a million children with mental ill health have turned to emergency departments for help since 2019.

Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN general secretary and chief executive, said: ‘Half a million children and young people attending A&E in a mental health crisis is evidence of a catastrophic system-wide failure.'

Waits of 12 hours or more for children in a mental health crisis more than tripled during the same period in NHS trusts in England.

The findings come after the Government launched a call for evidence on its new mental health policy.

The RCN called on the Government to expand its roll-out of a network of mental health emergency units to protect children in a mental health crisis from ‘damaging and potentially traumatising' visits to acute A&Es.

The College says the Government's new mental health strategy must not just deliver parity of esteem between mental and physical health needs, but also address the social determinants of mental health in children and young people such as poverty,  poor and insecure housing, social isolation, as well as unstable employment.

Since 2021, the number of children and adolescents who have received one assessment or ongoing treatment from mental health services (CAMHS) has risen by a third (649,340 in 2021 to 863,472 in 2025.

Meanwhile, RCN analysis of Government data shows that for every 2 children living in temporary accommodation 15 years ago, there are now 5, reaching 176,130 by December 2025. Research published by Shelter saw 60% of parents report that living in temporary accommodation had a negative impact on their children's physical or mental health.

Since 2019, the number of children and young people attending A&Es with mental ill health has increased by an estimated 6% (37,264 to 39,497 across the 70 trusts that provided data over all years).

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Director of The NHS Alliance's Mental Health Network, Rebecca Gray, said: ‘Too much of our energy and stretched resources are spent on dealing with crisis when we want to be focused on earlier intervention and prevention. It's also about ensuring there is effective social care provision so there are enough suitable placements.

‘We have called on the government to introduce a new NHS mental health performance target for children and young people to help address an unacceptable treatment gap for people with mental ill health who can't access care.'

 A Government spokesperson said: ‘Too many children and young people are reaching crisis point with their mental health, and far too often they are ending up in A&E as a result - that must change.

 ‘No one should be forced to wait 12 hours for care, but the issue goes beyond waits alone - we need to make sure every child gets the right support much earlier, before problems escalate.

 ‘That's why we will publish a new mental health strategy this year, focused on earlier intervention and faster access, backed by more staff, more community support and new facilities so young people can get help closer to home.

 ‘We are also increasing inpatient capacity, delivering 8,500 more mental health workers three years ahead of schedule, and investing more than £400m in specialist mental health departments, centres and wider capital projects.'