People in England are nearly 12 times more likely to face long waits for mental health treatment than physical treatment.

This is unacceptable. 

Our exclusive analysis of NHS data with the BBC showed that in May, 14,586 people had waited 18+ months for community mental health treatment, compared to 1,237 people facing similar waits for physical care.

The gap is continuing to increase, too. In December, people were 8 times more likely to wait 18 months for community mental health treatment than physical. In April, that rose to 10 times more likely and in May nearly 12x more likely.

Let’s make this simple: no one should be waiting 18+ months for support with their mental health. It’s great that long waits for physical health have decreased. But to see consistent long mental health waits like this is unacceptable. 

The impact of long waits for treatment is having a devastating impact on people’s lives. 

Speaking to the BBC, Amy, who was diagnosed with complex PTSD after experiencing a violent childhood, has spent a over a decade seeking support and has seen a psychiatrist only once while stuck on an NHS waiting list. 

She said: “I was self harming and felt suicidal and didn't want to be alive anymore. I just get told to wait and that services are struggling. Sometimes I feel really angry and like screaming and cry all day because I can't move on with my life."

“I feel like I'm going round and round in circles and end up in the same situation every single day.”

Brian Dow, deputy chief executive of Rethink Mental Illness, describe that data as an “urgent wake up call”, telling the BBC, “Long delays worsen outcomes. It becomes more expensive to treat them. They end up in secondary care, which is more complex - and they fall further from work and become more reliant on benefits."

It is clear that we need action. This government inherited a broken mental health system. But while there has been progress in some areas, mental health services are under pressure and many people are waiting too long. Progress on physical health shows that change is possible. The government must make mental health part of their plans to fix the NHS.

The government plans to cut waiting times must focus on mental health. This would be a huge step towards the commitment to give mental health the same attention as physical health.
There are solutions to these problems.

We look forward to hearing from the government about its plans to tackle waiting lists. We’ll never stop fighting for the rights of people severely affected by mental illness.