Key points
- Measures of demand and activity have been recorded at all-time highs across mental health services this month. The number of open referrals to mental health services, children and young people (CYP) accessing services, people in contact with services and CYP waiting for first contact from community mental health services all reached record highs. This highlights the ongoing pressures facing mental health services.
- Our briefing Mental health: shifting the focus explores the current challenges facing the sector and how trusts are responding and innovating.
Referrals
- In February 2025, there were 435,820 new mental health referrals, broadly similar to last year but nearly 28% higher than February 2020 before the pandemic.
- There were a record 2.29m open referrals to mental health services in February 2025. Both adult open referrals and referrals for children and young people (CYP) reached respective record highs of 1.71m and 577,550. For adults this was 11.6% higher than last year, and for CYP, nearly 6% higher.
- In the 12 months to February 2025, 822,030 CYP accessed mental health services, another record high showing more activity than ever in this area. Compared to a year ago, this figure is up by 4.4%.
FIGURE 6
Number of open referrals to mental health services for adults and children and young people
Contacts
- The number of people in contact with mental health services reached a new record high this month of 2.05 million. Compared to a year ago, this figure has increased by 6.7% and compared to pre-pandemic levels, this is up significantly - by 45%.
- There were 2.15 million care contacts attended during February, an increase of 6.6% compared to a year ago.
Community mental health
- Between December 2024 and February 2025, 190,250 CYP accessed support through NHS funded mental health services, 8.7% more than last year. The median wait time was 14 days, slightly improved from the same period last year (15 days).
- The highest ever number of CYP were still waiting for first contact from community mental health services (393,040) in the three months to February 2025. There has been a 19% increase in this figure since last year.
- For adults with serious mental health illness, 123,180 received their second contact with services, 19% more than over the same period last year. The median wait times for adults was 46 days, a slight improvement on last year.
- 220,380 adults with serious mental illness were still waiting for treatment from community mental health services, broadly similar to the same period a year ago.
Figure 7
Children and young people still waiting for first contact from community health services at the end of the three-month rolling reporting period
Out of area placements
- At the end of January 2025, there were 406 OAPs in adult acute beds, a slight increase of two OAPs since the previous month. This measure has plateaued at around 400, since September 2024.