Child's 70-Day A&E Wait: A Systemic Crisis?

A vulnerable child experienced an unacceptable two-month wait in an A&E department at Queen's Hospital in Romford, east London, due to a lack of suitable care facilities. This child, who has complex behavioral disorders, spent over 70 days in the emergency department. Another child also endured more than 30 days in the same A&E.

These prolonged stays occurred because the children, who were in council-arranged care, experienced placement breakdowns. Hospitals are now frequently serving as 'places of safety' for young people facing mental health challenges and behavioral difficulties, leading to significant delays in receiving necessary support. This situation is distressing for both patients and staff.

Concerns have been raised about the extended waits for mental health patients in A&E. The local commissioner noted that children with autism constitute a significant portion of A&E admissions under a 'mental health diagnosis.' This trend is potentially linked to the strain on children's mental health services and the rise in children's care homes in Havering.

The most common reasons for mental health-related A&E admissions among children and young adults include self-injurious behavior, bizarre behavior, anxiety, aggression, and hallucinations. Hospitals are becoming a last resort for children with complex needs, neurodiversity, and challenging behaviors whose residential placements have failed. Nationally, in February, 3,511 mental health patients across England waited over 24 hours in A&E.