Depression is the main reason behind three trips to A&E a day at Southampton University Hospital.

Mental health charity Mind said it was "deeply concerning" to see so many people needing emergency care for this reason.

NHS Digital data shows in the year to March, "feeling depressed" was a patient's chief complaint in 915 attendances at the hospital.

This is an average of three a day.

The chief complaint is what a clinician views, during a patient’s first assessment, as the main reason that drove them to seek emergency care.

Leila Reyburn, policy and campaigns manager at Mind, said: "It is deeply concerning to see so many people feeling so mentally unwell that they need to go to A&E.

"This is supported by data which shows an increasing number of people, including children, being treated by the NHS in a mental health crisis.

"Many people have seen their mental health worsen during the pandemic, which is why it is vital the Government uses the upcoming Spending Review to fund mental health services, so that people can get help early on, before they find themselves in an emergency."

Different figures show "depressive disorder" was listed as the first suspected or confirmed diagnosis in 540 A&E attendances at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust in 2020-21.

Across England, trusts recorded 114,000 A&E attendances in which a patient was initially recorded as feeling depressed in the same time period.

It was the 28th most common reason – out of nearly 150 recorded – for heading to an emergency department nationally last year, coming above puncture wounds, back injuries, coughs and sore throats.

An NHS spokeswoman said: “As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, the NHS is expanding mental health services, including talking therapy services for people suffering from anxiety and depression."

She said anyone needing help can self-refer online, contact an urgent 24/7 mental health helpline or access advice through the Every Mind Matters website.

"In addition, anyone who needs to attend A&E with mental health needs should receive expert, compassionate mental health care, with all A&E departments now equipped with specialist mental health liaison teams on-site," the spokeswoman added.