Report reveals children with a first episode of psychosis waited a week in hospital A&E

Cork University Hospital (CUH) saw 1,569 mental health patients including 140 children in 2023. File picture: Larry Cummins

A "troubling" new report has led to calls for urgent investment in emergency mental health services, including for children waiting up to a week in emergency departments in hospitals.

Around 51,000 people first seek help for acute mental health needs through emergency departments or medical wards every year, the Mental Health Commission (MHC) report said. However, it warned of “substantial variations” in care between different hospitals or types of hospital.