Mental health and learning disability sector

Referrals (September 2025) 

• There were 465,241 new referrals to mental health services, the highest September on record.
• There were 2.34 million open referrals to mental health services, the third highest figure on record and 47% above pre-pandemic levels. There were 1.8 million adult open referrals – the highest number on record.
• In the 12 months to September 2025, 848,750 CYP accessed mental health services, a 7% increase compared to the year ending September 2024.  

FIGURE 6
Number of open referrals to mental health services for adults and children and young people

Contacts (September 2025)  

• The second highest number of people on record were in contact with mental health services in September (2.15 million).
• There were 2.37 million care contacts attended in September, up 10% more than last year and 36% higher than six years ago, before the pandemic.  

Community mental health (July to September 2025) 

• 175,320 CYP accessed support through NHS-funded mental health services – the lowest figure recorded since October 2024.
• The number of children and young people still waiting for a first contact from community mental health services was 365,370 in the three months to September. The median wait times for those still waiting was 309 days, 67 days longer than the same period last year.
• For adults with serious mental illness, 128,190 received their second contact with services in the three-month period to September.
• 187,650 adults with serious mental illness were still waiting for treatment from community mental health services in the three months to September. The median wait time for a second contact since referral for adults was 69 days, 49 days faster than last year.  

Out of area placements (OAPs) (October 2025) 

• At the end of September 2025, there were 397 OAPs in adult acute beds, inching below 400 for the first time this year.