NHS Activity Tracker: September 2026

Mental health and learning disability sector

2.41m
people had an open referral with MH services – the highest figure on record
2.58m
care contacts attended
529,226
new referrals to MH services

There were 529,226 new referrals to mental health services in July 2026 compared with 516,718 in July 2025.
There were 2.65 million open referrals to mental health services in July 2026 compared with 2.37 million in July 2025.
In the 12 months to July 2026, 893,219 children and young people (CYP) accessed mental health services, compared with 852,767 in 12 months to July 2025.
2.41 million people had an open referral with mental health services at the end of July 2026 compared with 2.16 million in July 2025. This is the highest figure on record (since April 2019).

There were 2.58 million care contacts attended in July 2026, consistent with 2.58 million in July 2025.
There were 3.13 million contacts that took place in July. This is the second highest figure on record.

221,294 CYP had a first contact with NHS funded mental health services in the three months to July 2026 compared with 209,450 in the three months to July 2025.
The number of children and young people still waiting for a first contact from mental health services was 442,009 in the three months to July 2026 compared with 283,624 in the three months to July 2025.
The median wait times for CYP still waiting between referral and first contact was 297 days in the three months to July 2026 compared with 339 in the three months to July 2025.
For adults with serious mental illness, 131,562 received their second contact with community mental health services in the three-month period to July 2026, compared with 135,083 in the three months to July 2025.
191,007 adults with serious mental illness were still waiting for their second contact from community mental health services in the three months to July 2026, compared with 195,998 in the three months to July 2025.
The median wait time for a second contact from community mental health services since referral for adults with serious mental illness was 60 days in the three months to July 2026, compared with 66 in the three months to July 2025.

At the end of July 2026, there were 285 inappropriate OAPs in adult acute beds compared with 404 in July 2025.