New figures reveal a record surge in referrals to children and young people's mental health services in March, alongside unprecedented waiting times. The charity YoungMinds, analysing NHS England data, reported 932,822 under-18s had an active mental health referral during the month, including 134,837 new referrals – both the highest on record for a single month.
YoungMinds warned the data highlights the 'sheer scale of the mental health emergency' facing youngsters. New referrals climbed 11 per cent from February and were up 2 per cent compared to the same time last year. The number of urgent, very urgent and emergency care referrals reached 8,631, up 16 per cent from the previous month.
The analysis also found that the average waiting time topped 300 days for the eighth consecutive month, standing at 301 days in March – up 13 days year-on-year. In the worst cases, patients waited more than two-and-a-half years (1,006 days), another record high.
Abigail Ampofo, interim chief executive at YoungMinds, said: 'These alarming figures highlight the sheer scale of the mental health emergency. While waiting lists for physical health problems are going down, the time young people spend trying to access specialist support for their mental health continues to rise.'
She added that pressures such as academic demands, rising living costs and inequality are harming young people's mental health, calling for both a long-term plan and urgent action. It is estimated that around one in five eight to 25-year-olds have mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
