England's Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published its 2025/26 State of Care report, finding that children and young people now wait an average of roughly 12 months for a first contact with mental health services, double the wait recorded three years ago. Psychologists responding to the findings say the delay often precedes a further long wait for actual treatment, with many young people receiving no support in the interim.
What the report found
The CQC's annual assessment covers health and social care across England, drawing on inspections, data and feedback from services. This year's edition highlights a sharp lengthening of waiting times for children and young people's mental health support, alongside a broader rise in demand across community mental health services. According to the British Psychological Society (BPS), the number of people with open referrals to community mental health services has grown by more than a third over the past three years.
Why delays matter clinically
Dr Rachel Bradley, Chair of the BPS Faculty for Children, Young People and their Families, said prolonged waits allow emotional difficulties to become "more severe and enduring," with knock-on effects for children's development and school attendance. She noted that practitioners are "doing their best to support children and their families in a system that is ill-equipped to meet the rising levels of demand," sometimes at a cost to their own wellbeing. Bradley called for mental health access to be a government priority, alongside investment in prevention, early intervention and infant mental health services.
Pressure on community services and severe mental illness
BPS President-Elect Dr Esther Cohen-Tovée described the pressure on community mental health services as "incredibly concerning," warning that current funding and provision are unsustainable without urgent action. She pointed to rising access among people with severe mental illness and complex needs as a positive sign of reach, but flagged a widening health inequalities gap for this group that needs addressing. Cohen-Tovée said people should be able to access support "well before they reach crisis point."
What could change next
Cohen-Tovée welcomed the government's recently announced neighbourhood health centers as a potential opportunity to integrate services and ease community access, but stressed this depends on adequate resourcing and a skilled, supported workforce, including psychologists and psychological professionals in service design and delivery. The BPS said it looks forward to the government's forthcoming mental health strategy and plans to contribute to its development. These remain policy intentions rather than confirmed reforms, and their impact on waiting times is not yet known.