Demand and activity
The latest Mental Health Service Dataset (MHSDS) monthly performance data for November 2024, published in January highlights the current levels of demand NHS trusts continue to face. The data shows that more people are asking for help than ever before:
Following a record high of 1.98 million in October 2024, as of November 2024, there are 1.97 million people in contact with mental health services. This is up by 6.3% compared to a year ago and up by 43% compared to pre-pandemic levels.
New referrals to mental health services have fallen in the latest month to 450,180 and levels remain similar to last year. However, compared to pre-pandemic levels, new referrals are 43% higher.
The increased demand for services means that patients are having to be cared for far away from their homes, friends and families. At the end of November 2024, there were 404 out of area placements (OAPs) in adult acute beds. This is an increase of 8.3% compared to last year (47 more OAPs than November 2023) and up by 49.1% (133 more) since the start of this collection in April 2023.
Our latest explainer blog sets out what trusts need in order to deliver a more proactive and co-ordinated community-based model of mental health care.
Learning disability and autism
- Of the 1.97 million people in contact with mental health services, 286,911 of these were with learning disability and autism (LDA) services. This is an increase of 7.6% compared to last year and 2.3 times higher than pre-pandemic levels (November 2019).
- There were 2,050 learning disabilities and/or autism inpatients at the end of November 2024. Over half of these (52%) have had a total length of stay of two years or more.
FIGURE 9
Number of patients in contact with mental health or learning disabilities services 
Community mental health
Trust leaders and staff are working hard to meet the high demand for mental health services exacerbated by the pandemic but a number of areas remain challenged and national standards are not being met.
Eating disorders
- Between September 2024 and November 2024, 83.3% of CYP patients with eating disorders categorised as urgent cases started treatment within one week and 79.9% of routine cases started treatment within four weeks, both missing the 95% target.
Intervention-specific performance and waiting times
Eating disorders
The high demand for services means that trusts are unable to meet the national standards for eating disorders. The national target for children and young people with eating disorders accessing treatment is 95%. However, between August 2024 and October 2024, only 81.2% of patients with eating disorders categorised as urgent cases, started treatment within one week and 77.2% of routine cases started treatment within four weeks, both missing their respective 95% targets.
FIGURE 10
Percentage of urgent and routine cases seen within one and four weeks
NHS Talking Therapies
- In November 2024, 149,559 sought help from NHS Talking Therapies, up by 4.3% compared to pre-pandemic levels (November 2019). National standards continue to be met as 91.7% of referrals who finished a course of treatment in a month accessed NHS Talking Therapies within six weeks, meeting the standard of 75%. 37 out of the 38 reporting NHS trusts met the target.
FIGURE 11
Percentage of referrals accessing NHS talking therapies within six weeks
Urgent and emergency liaison mental health services
- In November 2024, there were 15,827 new referrals to liaison psychiatry teams from A&E with first face to face contact within one hour. Compared to a year ago, this is up by 14.1%.
- Latest data from the access to crisis care via NHS 111 publication reveals that in November 2024, 168,143 calls to access mental health care through NHS 111 were received, equating to 5,605 calls per day in November. This is an increase of 1.5% since the previous month.