Activity Tracker: May 2026

Mental health and learning disability sector

2.30 million
open referrals to mental health services in March
2.12 million
people were in contact with mental health services at the end of March
879,955
CYP accessed mental health services in March – the highest figure on record

There were 500,517 new referrals to mental health services in March 2026 compared with 485,311 in March 2025.
There were 2.30 million open referrals to mental health services in March 2026 compared with 2.35 million in March 2025.
In the 12 months to March 2026, 879,955 children and young people (CYP) accessed mental health services, compared with 840,063 in 12 months to March 2025. This is the highest figure since records began in March 2021.

2.12 million people were in contact with mental health services at the end of March 2026 compare with 2.14 million in March 2025.
There were 2.43 million care contacts attended in March 2026 compared with 2.31 million in March 2025.

216,901 CYP had a first contact with NHS funded mental health services in the three months to March 2026 compared with 209,656 in the three months to March 2025.
The number of children and young people still waiting for a first contact from community mental health services was 396,447 in the three months to March 2026 compared with 333,307 in the three months to March 2025.
The median wait times for CYP still waiting between referral and first contact was 301 days in the three months to March 2026 compared with 288 in the three months to March 2025.
For adults with serious mental illness, 126,671 received their second contact with services in the three-month period to March 2026, compared with 126,428 in the three months to March 2025.
185,485 adults with serious mental illness were still waiting for their second contact from community mental health services in the three months to March 2026, compared with 197,950 in the three months to March 2025.
The median wait time for a second contact since referral for adults with serious mental illness was 61 days in the three months to March 2026, compared with 68 in the three months to March 2025.

At the end of March 2026, there were 276 inappropriate OAPs in adult acute beds compared with 444 in March 2025.