Mental health and learning disability sector

Referrals (data for June 2026)

• There were 520,330 new referrals to mental health services in June 2026 compared with 476,781 in June 2025. This is the highest figure available since April 2022.
  
  
• There were 2.59 million open referrals to mental health services in June 2026 compared with 2.36 million in June 2025.
  
  
• In the 12 months to June 2026, 896,596 children and young people (CYP) accessed mental health services, compared with 848,057 in 12 months to June 2025. This is the highest figure since records began in March 2021. 
  
  
• 2.37 million people had an open referral with mental health services at the end of June 2026 compared with 2.16 million in June 2025. This is the highest figure on record (since April 2019).  

Contacts (data for June 2026)

• There were 2.54 million care contacts attended in June 2026 compared with 2.38 million in June 2025. This is an increase of 11.1% compared with May 2026.

Mental health waits (data for April 2026 to June 2026 inclusive)

• 220,798 CYP had a first contact with NHS funded mental health services in the three months to June 2026 compared with 200,158 in the three months to June 2025. 
  
  
• The number of children and young people still waiting for a first contact from mental health services was 420,393 in the three months to June 2026 compared with 381,226 in the three months to June 2025.
  
  
• The median wait times for CYP still waiting between referral and first contact was 315 days in the three months to June 2026 compared with 280 in the three months to June 2025.
  
  
• For adults with serious mental illness, 128,196 received their second contact with community mental health services in the three-month period to June 2026, compared with 129,129 in the three months to June 2025.
  
  
• 188,093 adults with serious mental illness were still waiting for their second contact from community mental health services in the three months to June 2026, compared with 191,067 in the three months to June 2025.
  
  
• The median wait time for a second contact from community mental health services since referral for adults with serious mental illness was 63 days in the three months to June 2026, compared with 70 in the three months to June 2025. 

Out of area placements (OAPs) (data for June 2026)

• At the end of June 2026, there were 267 inappropriate OAPs in adult acute beds compared with 439 in June 2025.