Number of people in mental health crisis at record high in England

"This is a human and economic catastrophe, costing the UK at least £118 billion a year. Without an effective, coordinated 'invest to save approach', the mental health crisis will only get worse."

"For the first time, the number of under-18s accessing mental health services exceeded 870,000 in the year to January 2026. Of these, NHS England data shows 550,610 have been referred to mental health services in England and placed on waiting lists for treatment. One in four young people are now thought to have a common mental health condition."

"Nearly a third of the children requiring care - some of them seriously ill as a result of eating disorders - have been stuck on NHS waiting lists for two years, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP)."

England faces an unprecedented mental health crisis with 2.24 million people now receiving NHS mental health services, an increase of 850,000 since January 2020. Over 23,000 patients occupy mental health hospital beds, and urgent referrals to crisis teams exceeded 17,700 in January. Young people are particularly affected, with over 870,000 under-18s accessing services and 550,610 on waiting lists. Nearly one-third of children requiring care have waited two years for treatment. One in four young people have common mental health conditions. Despite these alarming figures, mental health funding has decreased compared to the previous year. Mental health leaders describe the situation as a human and economic catastrophe costing the UK at least £118 billion annually.

Read at Mail Online