Child with bad behavioural issues left inside A&E for two months
A health boss described A&E as becoming a "place of last resort"
A child with bad behaviour was kept in A&E for more than two months because nowhere else could be found to provide the right care, it has been revealed.
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The youth spent over 70 days in the department at Queen's Hospital in Romford, east London, while another stayed in the same A&E for more than 30 days.
Both had been living in council-arranged care including foster or children's homes but their placements had broken down and nowhere else had been provided.
However, due to the children's "complex behavioural needs", Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust said both children could not be admitted to standard paediatric wards, The Telegraph reports.
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A&E is now becoming a "place of last resort" where patients end up despite needing specialist care, NHS leaders have warned.
Matthew Trainer, the chief executive of the trust, told Health Service Journal that hospitals were being used as a “place of safety” for children and young people with mental health problems and challenging behavioural needs.
Mr Trainer 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 chief also said the cases were among "the longest waits we’ve seen", and his trust previously reported a child spending 44 days in A&E in 2024 after a placement could not be found.
Mr Trainer added that the trust was working with councils and mental health services to reduce delays and find more appropriate placements.
Children with significant mental health needs may require admission to specialist child and adolescent mental health units, but beds are often scarce and far from home.
When placements collapse, councils are responsible for finding alternatives but shortages of suitable provision mean options can be limited.
A recent paper from the North East London Integrated Care Board warned that emergency departments are increasingly used as a "last resort" for children whose residential placements have failed.
The report said many of those arriving in A&E had complex mental health needs, neurodevelopmental conditions, or challenging behaviour.