To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children and young people were admitted to A&E because of mental illness in each year since 2010.
Answered on
10 February 2015
The table below outlines the total number of children and young people attending accident and emergency (A&E) with a diagnosis of ‘psychiatric conditions’. Row number 1 outlines the number of children and young people who were admitted to a bed within the same trust after presenting at A&E in each year since 2010. Row number 2 outlines the number of children and young people who attended A&E with a diagnosis of ‘psychiatric conditions’ in each year since 2010.
Count of A&E attendances (excluding planned attendances) for patients up to and including 18 years of age with an A&E diagnosis of ‘psychiatric conditions’ broken down by attendance disposal type (how the A&E attendance ended) for 2010-11 to 2013-14
Activity in English NHS Hospitals and England NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector
Row | Attendance Disposal Type | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 |
1 | Admitted to hospital bed / became a lodged patient of the same health care provider | 2,705 | 3,289 | 4,006 | 5,367 |
2 | Total number of children and young people who attended A&E with a diagnosis of ‘psychiatric conditions’ | 9,328 | 11,614 | 13,655 | 17,278 |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre
The data does not show whether children and young people were admitted to an inpatient Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services unit. It is possible they may have been admitted to other inpatient units.
Hospital Episode Statistic figures are available from 2007-08 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage and changes in NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care.
It should be noted that this is not a count of patients as the same patient may have been admitted more than once in a year.