Mental health and learning disability sector

Key points

• Demand for mental health services continues to grow, with the second highest monthly number of new referrals recorded in March. The increasing contact figures across mental health services highlight the efforts trusts are undertaking to meet this rising demand, but challenges remain in ensuring timely and sufficient support for those in need. 
  
  
• In the last year, more CYP than ever before accessed mental health services. However, a growing number of open referrals and CYP waiting for first contact from services highlights the increasing need for mental health support among CYP.
  
  
• Our briefing Mental health: shifting the focus explores the current challenges facing the sector and how trusts are responding and innovating.
  

Referrals

• In March 2025, there were 472,560 new mental health referrals, the second highest on record. This is an increase of 8.2% compared to last year and 47% higher than March 2019 before the pandemic.
  
  
• There were 2.26m open referrals to mental health services in March 2025, 9% higher than last year and 38% above pre-pandemic levels. The number of adult open referrals was 1.7m, up 11.7% on the same time last year. Open referrals for CYP stood at 562,840, 4% higher than a year ago.
  
  
• In the 12 months to March 2025, 829,310 CYP accessed mental health services – the highest annual figure on record, highlighting continued growth in activity. Compared to a year ago, this figure is up by 5.2%.
  

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

Contacts

• The number of people in contact with mental health services rose to a record high of 2.06 million in March 2025. Compared to a year ago, this figure has increased by 7.2% and compared to pre-pandemic levels, this is up significantly - by 51.8%.
  
  
• There were 2.23m care contacts attended during March, higher than last month and an increase of 13.9% compared to a year ago.

Community mental health

• Between January and March 2025, a record high 205,840 CYP accessed support through NHS funded mental health services, 11.7% more than last year. The median wait time was 14 days, unchanged from the same period last year.
  
  
• There were 385,540 CYP still waiting for first contact from community mental health services in the three months to March 2025, up by 14.4% since last year.
  
  
• For adults with serious mental health illness, 126,400 received their second contact with services, 17.6% more than over the same period last year. The median wait times for adults was 45 days, a slight improvement on last year.
  
  
• 225,300 adults with serious mental illness were still waiting for treatment from community mental health services, a 1.7% increase compared to the same period a year ago. 

FIGURE 7
Children and young people still waiting for first contact from community health services at the end of the three-month rolling reporting period

Out of area placements (OAPs)

• At the end of March 2025, there were 401 OAPs in adult acute beds, a decrease of five OAPs since the previous month. This measure has plateaued at around 400, since September 2024.