The number of people in mental health crisis has reached record levels in England, with 2.24million people now in contact with NHS services, concerning new data has revealed.
The NHS monthly figures show there are now 850,000 more people undergoing treatment or waiting to start care than in January 2020.
Responding to the stark increase, Mark Rowland, chief executive at the Mental Health Foundation, said: ‘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.’
More than 23,000 of these patients are either occupying a bed in a mental health hospital or has a bed open to them.
Urgent referrals to mental health crisis teams also reached more than 17,700 in January.
These are people with the most acute mental health symptoms, who might otherwise need to go to hospital for psychosis, severe self harm or suicide attempts.
For the first time, the number of under-18s accessing mental health services exceeded 870,000 in the year to January 2026.
The number of people in contact with NHS services for mental health rose to its highest level on record – hitting 2.24 million in January
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).
Despite this, Wes Streeting announced today that funding for mental health as part of NHS spending in England has fallen, compared to last years figures.
In response, Mr Rowland, said: ‘Poor mental health is at record highs, including millions of children and young people on waiting lists for treatment or out of work with mental health problems without adequate support to return to the workforce.
‘In the midst of a national mental health crisis, a cut to the share of spend for mental health raises real concerns about the government’s commitment to mental health.
‘It will continue to cost the UK billions of pounds, and millions of people will continue to suffer the consequences of preventable mental health problems.’
Dr Lade Smith, president of the RCP added: ‘The number of young people waiting for mental health treatment in England is just unacceptable.
‘There truly is a lack of ambition to treat mental illness in children and young people and it is now time to prioritise children’s mental health care, for the good of individuals but frankly also for the good of the country.’
Over 66,800 expectant and new mothers were in contact with specialist perinatal or maternal mental health community services in the year to January, a sharp increase from the 48,400 pregnant women struggling with their mental health in 2023.
Health officials have since called for better access to specialist units caring for women and babies, after a number of vulnerable women spoke out about being forced to travel for appropriate care.
Dr Jessica Heron, CEO of the Action on Postpartum Psychosis charity told the BBC: ‘In places where people can’t access these specialist units we know they’re likely to be admitted to a general psychiatric unit and that’s totally inappropriate for newly delivered mothers.
‘We hear of families very often who are travelling two or three hours for that specialist care. The risks are that women and families turn down that care.’
The majority of people struggling with their mental health live in North East London, where 75,400 people have made contact with NHS mental health services.
NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria trust has the lowest number of people in contact with these services.
But fears are growing over the number of people out of work. It comes as the BBC revealed today that more than 500 GPs have never refused to sign a patient off work for mental health issues.
The number of sick notes being issued has increased year on year, with almost 850,000 more fit notes in the most recent year compared with six years earlier.
Such notes are approved when someone is ill or cannot work for more than a week. They do not have to specify the reason a person is being signed off.
However, more than 956,000 notes last year cited mental health and behavioural disorders as the underlying reason, the BBC has reported.
