Child left in A&E for more than 70 days as nowhere found to provide right care for behavioural problems

Alice Tomlinson
Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:49:16 +0000

A child spent more than 70 days in A&E because nowhere could be found to provide the right care for its behavioural problems.

The A&E department at Queen's Hospital in Romford, east London, housed the child for over two months, whilst another child stayed there for more than 30 days.

After placements in council-arranged care, such as children's and foster homes, broke down, the children were admitted to hospital.

Initially, the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust said the two children could not be placed in a paediatric ward because of their "complex behavioural needs".

A&E is increasingly becoming a "place of last resort" for patients who need specialist care, NHS leaders have warned.

Matthew Trainer, the chief executive of the trust, told Health Service Journal that hospitals were being used as essentially a safe-house for children and young people who have mental health conditions and complex needs.

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He said: "This means several young people have experienced long waits for the right support in A&E.

"It’s unacceptable and distressing for both patients and our staff, and something we’ve been discussing for several years."

The two children's cases are the "longest waits" the trust had ever seen, with the third lengthiest stay for a child was 44 days in 2024 after a placement could not be sourced for them, the Telegraph reports.

Mr Trainer said the trust is collaborating with councils and mental health services to ensure waits are cut and appropriate placements are found quicker.

A&E is not designed for longer stays, particularly for those who have complex behavioural needs or suffer from mental health problems.

Specialist settings, such as regulated children's homes, foster placements or secure units are usually where children with such needs are placed.

For those who suffer from acute mental health problems, they might be admitted to specialist child mental health units, however, beds and resources are scarce.

Councils are responsible for finding new placements when a previous one collapses, but options can be limited.

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Last year, a new dedicated mental health space for children was opened in Queen's Hospital - it has space for just one child.

A recent report from the North East London Integrated Care Board highlighted the growing use of emergency departments for children whose residential placements had failed, calling it a "last resort".

Those arriving in A&E most commonly presented with self-harm, severe anxiety, aggression and other similar behaviours.

Many also had neurodevelopmental conditions or complex mental health needs requiring specialist support, which is unavailable in emergency settings.

Clinicians warn that prolonged A&E stays can exacerbate these problems.

Emergency departments are noisy, unpredictable environments, that are already under strain.

A&E wards have no specialist staff trained in managing the complex needs as mentioned above, let alone those of children.

A national safety investigation in 2024 found children with severe behavioural needs were routinely held on paediatric wards or in A&E whilst waiting assessment.

Doctors and campaigners have repeatedly warned that gaps in social care and mental health provision are leaving emergency departments filling the void.

A&E departments are already strained, with the NHS is looking to miss key performance targets across A&E.

An analysis conducted by the Guardian of the health service's most recent data suggests England will fall short of several milestone improvements that ministers had demanded be achieved by the end of the current fiscal year.

Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, pledged last month that this Government would bring waiting times back on track before the end of the Parliament in 2029.