Patients in mental health crisis wait hours for beds

THE number of Greater Manchester patients in mental health crisis waiting more than 12 hours for a bed have shot up by hundreds in the past five years.

- By HELENA VESTY

Three of the region's biggest A&Es have seen people waiting more than 12 hours for a bed on a mental health unit to be found, after medics have decided to admit them, rise from a total of 115 in 2019 to 717 people in 2024. That's an increase of more than 523 per cent.

Staff admit that A&E workers are so busy dealing with patients getting help with physical emergencies that mental health patients end up being looked after by security guards, instead of medical professionals.