Rise in autistic children going to A&E putting pressure on NHS

Positive Support Group said one child spent more than 120 days in hospital with ‘no medical need’ and warned that funding cuts were driving the surge

Becky, a 46-year-old charity worker. said her 14-year-old daughter Sofia first called the emergency services because she has autism and was in extreme distress during a crisis

“At the time, I had no support,” said Becky, a 46-year-old charity worker. “In a way, Sofia calling in the ambulance was a saving grace for us.”

Her called the emergency services when she was 13, not because she was in physical danger, but because she has autism and was in extreme distress during a crisis. According to her mother, Sofia has required emergency care to cope with multiple crises over the years.

NHS data analysed by the Positive Support Group (PSG) found that there were more than 20,000 episodes where children with autism were admitted to and discharged from emergency hospital care on the same day in 2023-24 — a 86% increase since 2019-20, according to the behavioural health group.

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Source: The Times, 2 April 2025