‘This cannot go on’: rise in under-18s on adult psychiatric wards in UK

‘This cannot go on’: rise in under-18s on adult psychiatric wards in UK Services struggle to meet the needs of children with mental health issues as adult units see 30% more admissions of younger people

A growing number of children with mental health problems are being treated on adult psychiatric wards as services struggle to cope with a surge in demand following the pandemic, the NHS watchdog has warned.

There were 249 admissions of under-18s to adult psychiatric wards in England in 2021-22, according to data provided by NHS trusts to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), up 30% on the year before. The Guardian