Mental Health Services: Young People

Asked by Matt VickersConservativeDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 June 2026Answered 17 June 2026UIN 7501

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is for children and young people to access NHS mental health services in each Integrated Care Board area.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

The following table shows the median waiting time, in days, for children and young people, those aged under 18 years old, to access National Health Service mental health services in each integrated care board (ICB), based on those still waiting for a first contact:

ICB	Median waiting time for referrals still waiting for a first contact with NHS funded mental health support, at the end of March 2026	Median waiting time for referrals who received a first contact with NHS funded mental health support between January and March 2026
NHS BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET, SWINDON AND WILTSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	50	18
NHS BEDFORDSHIRE, LUTON AND MILTON KEYNES INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	50	17
NHS BIRMINGHAM AND SOLIHULL INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	258	3
NHS BLACK COUNTRY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	168	33
NHS BRISTOL, NORTH SOMERSET AND SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	113	7
NHS BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, OXFORDSHIRE AND BERKSHIRE WEST INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	481	14
NHS CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND PETERBOROUGH INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	104	30
NHS CHESHIRE AND MERSEYSIDE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	288	10
NHS CORNWALL AND THE ISLES OF SCILLY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	577	12
NHS COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	341	28
NHS DERBY AND DERBYSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	379	10
NHS DEVON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	302	28
NHS DORSET INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	41	21
NHS FRIMLEY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	524	20
NHS GLOUCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	373	49
NHS GREATER MANCHESTER INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	365	4
NHS HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	631	12
NHS HEREFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	322	36
NHS HERTFORDSHIRE AND WEST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	188	13
NHS HUMBER AND NORTH YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	302	7
NHS KENT AND MEDWAY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	580	12
NHS LANCASHIRE AND SOUTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	188	11
NHS LEICESTER, LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	279	2
NHS LINCOLNSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	651	6
NHS MID AND SOUTH ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	42	11
NHS NORFOLK AND WAVENEY INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	276	68
NHS NORTH CENTRAL LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	72	20
NHS NORTH EAST AND NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	330	16
NHS NORTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	149	17
NHS NORTH WEST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	112	7
NHS NORTHAMPTONSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	428	22
NHS NOTTINGHAM AND NOTTINGHAMSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	472	17
NHS SHROPSHIRE, TELFORD AND WREKIN INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	250	32
NHS SOMERSET INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	476	2
NHS SOUTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	126	21
NHS SOUTH WEST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	188	28
NHS SOUTH YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	246	5
NHS STAFFORDSHIRE AND STOKE-ON-TRENT INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	295	11
NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	202	26
NHS SURREY HEARTLANDS INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	324	19
NHS SUSSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	261	62
NHS WEST YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD	336	15
UNKNOWN	190	14

The data covers January to March 2026 and uses median waiting time, the standard measure for mental health waiting times, as published in the Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics, Performance March 2026 - NHS England Digital. Where the ICB is recorded as ‘Unknown’, this indicates that the patient’s ICB, based on general practice or residence, was not recorded. The Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics, Performance March 2026 - NHS England Digital is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-services-monthly-statistics/performance-march-2026

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Mental Health Services: Young People

Every written question, searchable