Community sector

Waiting list (October 2025)

• The total reported community services waiting list in England fell slightly for the third month running to 1.15 million in October but remains 8% higher than the same time last year.
• In October, the total number of CYP waiting for community services was 304,040, which is 12.5% higher than in October 2024.
• There were 850,640 adults on the community waiting list, up by 6.5% compared to the same time last year.

FIGURE 4
Community health services total reported waiting list

Long waits (over 52 weeks)

• There were 75,910 CYP waiting for 52 weeks or more in October, slightly higher than last month. Currently, 1 in 4 CYP wait over 52 weeks community services and 2% (25,420 CYP) have been waiting for more than two years (104 weeks).
• There were 10,390 adults waiting for more than 52 weeks for treatment, down by over a quarter compared to last year. This includes 597 adults facing delays of over 104 weeks for treatment. 1% of adults have been waiting over a year for community services. 

Referrals and contacts (September 2025)

• In September 2025, there were 1.83 million referrals received to community services, 5.7% higher than last year. Referrals have risen by 65.8% compared to six years ago, before the pandemic (September 2019).
•  A total of 8.88 million care contacts were reported across all submitters in September 2025, up by 2.2% compared to the same period last year. 

FIGURE 5
Total referrals received by community services