NHS Activity Tracker: April 2026

Mental health and learning disability sector

2.37 million
open referrals to mental health services in February
2.19 million
people were in contact with mental health services at the end of February
875,531
CYP accessed mental health services in February – the highest figure on record

There were 469,607 new referrals to mental health services in February 2026 compared with 444,226 in February 2025.
There were 2.37 million open referrals to mental health services in February 2026 compared with 2.35 million in February 2025.
In the 12 months to February 2026, 875,531 CYP accessed mental health services, compared with 831,579 in 12 months to February 2025. This is the highest figure since records began in March 2021.

2.19 million people were in contact with mental health services at the end of February 2026 compare with 2.12 million in February 2025.
There were 2.22 million care contacts attended in February 2026 compared with 2.16 million in February 2025.

203,758 CYP had a first contact with NHS funded mental health services in the three months to February 2026 compared with 194,176 in the three months to February 2025.
The number of children and young people still waiting for a first contact from community mental health services was 390,285 in the three months to February 2026 compared with 332,163 in the three months to February 2025.
The median wait times for CYP still waiting between referral and first contact was 310 days in the three months to February 2026 compared with 292 in the three months to February 2025.
For adults with serious mental illness, 122,149 received their second contact with services in the three-month period to February 2026, compared with 122,726 in the three months to February 2025.
190,727 adults with serious mental illness were still waiting for their second contact from community mental health services in the three months to February 2026, compared with 217,851 in the three months to February 2025.
The median wait time for a second contact since referral for adults with serious mental illness was 72 days in the three months to February 2026, compared with 87 in the three months to February 2025.

At the end of February 2026, there were 343 inappropriate OAPs in adult acute beds compared with 406 in February 2025.