Mental Health Services: Waiting Lists

Patients have been let down for too long whilst they wait for the care they need. Currently, the elective waiting list stands at 7.48 million patient pathways, with over six million people waiting. We are committed to putting patients first, making sure that patients are seen on time, and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care.

As set out in the Government’s Plan for Change, we will ensure that 92% of patients return to waiting no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015. This includes those patients waiting for mental health services where the referral is made to a medical consultant-led mental health service.

The majority of National Health Service mental health care is outside the scope of the elective waiting list and the referral to treatment 18-week constitutional standard. With regard to mental health care more broadly, we know that too many people with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we will fix the broken system to ensure that mental health is given the same attention and focus as physical health, so that people can be confident in accessing high quality mental health support when they need it. We will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment which will also help ease pressure on hospitals. We will also ensure every young person has access to a mental health professional at school, and will set up Young Futures hubs in every community, offering open access mental health services for young people.