Rising number of children attending A&E for mental health conditions
Doctors and mental health charities said specialist services were "shockingly underfunded"
Laura HartleySenior Reporter
The number of children with mental health issues being admitted to A&E has rapidly increased.
Exclusive new figures also show general A&E attendances for mental health conditions have nearly tripled in Coventry and Warwickshire over the past decade - to an average of 11 a day.
The figures show people with a diagnosis of psychiatric conditions visited the area's A&Es 4,125 times in 2018/19.
Doctors and mental health charities warned busy and stressful A&Es were not the best place for those in need of mental health help.
They said specialist services were "shockingly underfunded" and urgently needed more resources and staff.
The data - released by NHS Digital - shows overall numbers of attendances for mental health conditions at the area's A&Es have fallen 6 per cent in a year, from 4,395 in 2017/18.
However, they were 172 per cent higher than the 1,515 attendances in 2009/10.
Over the past decade, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire has seen attendances increase almost fivefold from 505 to 2,330, numbers have doubled at George Eliot Hospital, from 595 to 1,300, and South Warwickshire NHS Trust has seen attendances go up from 415 to 495.
Rapid increase in children in A&E
The trusts have seen particularly rapid increases in the number of children and older people with mental health issues having to go to A&E for help.
Attendances by under 18s across the trusts more than quadrupled, from 155 in 2009/10 to 685 in 2018/19, while attendances by those aged 18 to 24 almost tripled, from 280 to 755.
Dr Catherine Hayhurst, Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Chair of the RCEM's Mental Health Sub-Committee, said: "The impact on children and young people coming to emergency departments is huge as they wait hours, and many get admitted to a ward pending being seen by [Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH)].
"They can end up on a ward next to many poorly toddlers and babies.
"They get a poor night's sleep which cannot help their mental health assessment the next day.
"CAMH is shockingly underfunded given this known increase in activity for several years now.
"We are hoping the money pledged in the long term plan will come good, but there will not be sufficient trained staff for several years.
"We are training our emergency department staff to deal with the increase in patients coming with Mental Health presentations but our environment is not good for a person with a mental health crisis as it is noisy and busy.
"EDs now have to be adept at assessing patient's safety who are suicidal and we are seeing an increasing number of patients needing continuous observation, restraint or sedation to keep them safe."
Mental health and suicide support
Helplines and support groups
The NHS Choices website lists the following helplines and support networks for people to talk to.
Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you're feeling, or if you're worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.
Childline (0800 1111) runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number won't show up on your phone bill.
PAPYRUS (0800 068 41 41) is an organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal.
Mind (0300 123 3393) is a charity based in England providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
Students Against Depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts.
Bullying UK is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying.
Young Persons Advisory Service – Providing mental health and emotional wellbeing services for Liverpool's children, young people and families. tel: 0151 707 1025 email: support@ypas.org.uk
Elderly massively affected
The other age group seeing a big increase in attendances for psychiatric conditions in Coventry and Warwickshire was the over-65s.
Attendances for them rose nearly sixfold from 125 in 2009/10 to 725 in 2018/19.
Across England, there were 263,058 attendances at A&Es in 2018/19 by people diagnosed with psychiatric conditions.
The number has risen by a quarter in a year, from 209,645 in 2017/18, and is triple the number seen a decade before, when there were 90,044.
Vicki Nash, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Mind said the rise could be down to increased awareness of mental health meaning more people
are asking for help when they are unwell, but she added they also indicate that people are not getting the right support or treatment
early on enough.
She said: "There needs to be much greater focus on making sure people can access the right treatment at the right time, to avoid reaching
crisis point.
"The NHS Long Term Plan came with welcome commitments to improve mental health services. Better care in the community and a reduction in the time people have to wait for treatment would help, while alternatives to A&E such as home-based support and crisis houses could reduce pressure on busy A&E departments.
"People who have been in crisis also need the best possible care to manage their mental health in the long run, rather than being rushed
through or discharged too soon, which can result in a 'revolving door' situation.
"The proof of things improving will be in the experiences of those trying to access the services they need earlier on. This includes making sure people with mental health problems are treated with respect and dignity, and have their views properly taken into account when it comes to receiving treatment."
(Image: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)
Massive increase for young people
The number of mental health-related attendances by under 18s has more than quadrupled in a decade in England, from 6,192 in 2009/10 to
26,582 in 2018/19, while numbers have tripled for those aged 18 to 24.
Emma Thomas, Chief Executive of YoungMinds, said: "It is alarming that there has been such a sharp rise in young people arriving in A&E
needing mental health support.
"One of the main reasons that crisis services are overstretched is that young people who are struggling don't get help soon enough, which
means that problems can escalate. We often hear from young people who've gone to A&E because they don't know where else to turn – but A&E can be a crowded and stressful environment, and is usually not the best place to get appropriate help.
"The government has promised extra investment in crisis care, but we also need to see action so young people can get early mental health
support in their communities, before they hit crisis point."
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The number of attendances by those aged 65 and over diagnosed with psychiatric disorders is up by almost two-thirds in just a year, from
28,085 to 45,470.
The figure in 2018/19 is six times higher than the 7,312 attendances seen in 2009/10.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "To get people the mental health support they need, we are transforming services as part of our Long Term Plan for the NHS, backed by an extra £2.3 billion in real terms by 2023/24.
"We will continue to invest in community services, including clear standards for patients needing community mental health treatment. For
those who do need help at A&E, we are investing £249 million to roll out liaison mental health teams in every acute hospital by 2020 to
ensure they get the care they need."
Reach PLC has launched a new mental health health podcast called No Really, I'm Fine. Presented by three Reach journalists, the podcast was launched on Monday May 13 to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week. You can listen to it below.