Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

AnxietyDepressionStressMental health conditionsOccupational Health

More than three million trying to access NHS mental health services

by Nic Paton 29 Nov 2022
by Nic Paton 29 Nov 2022 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

The number of people now in contact with NHS mental health services in England has increased by 16.2% in the past year, with more than three million people being referred or seen, according to latest NHS data.

The statistics from NHS Digital showed that a total of 3,256,695 people were in contact with NHS-funded secondary mental health, learning disabilities and autism services in 2021 to 2022. This was up from 2,803,244 in 2020 to 2021 and 2,878,636 in 2019 to 2020.

This meant that 5.8% of people in England were known to be in contact with those services during the year. This compared to 5.0% of people in 2020 2021 and 5.1% of people in 2019 2020, NHS Digital said.

Mental ill health

‘Commit 5% of working hours to employee mental health‘ business leaders urged

Cost of living and burnout combining to create mental health crisis

Many mental health patients waiting more than 12 weeks for treatment

The number of under 18-year-olds in contact with NHS mental health services in England increased by 29.2% in the past year to 992,647 in 2021 to 2022, up from 768,083 in 2020 to 2021 and 763,888 in 2019 to 2020, it added.

The figures have come as 19 mental health organisations have called on prime minister Rishi Sunak to take more action to tackle the mental health impact of the cost of living crisis.

The move follows a similar open letter written by 17 mental health organisations in the summer to then departing prime minister Boris Johnson and the arriving (if short lived) Liz Truss.

In the latest letter, the organisations have warned that they are seeing growing demand on their services.

“We will, of course, continue to do our absolute best to provide the necessary support,” they said.

“But we want to be crystal clear: the first intervention to reduce mental ill health and prevent suicide is to ensure every household has the means to be safe and warm with enough to eat.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“We urge the prime minister to act with speed and compassion to tackle the root causes of destitution and in doing so prevent suicide and an inevitable rise in mental ill health,” they added.

The signatories to the letter were:

  • Julie Bentley, Samaritans
  • Simon Blake Mental Health First Aid England
  • Sophie Corlett, Mind
  • Brian Dow, Mental Health UK
  • Sean Duggan, Mental Health Network, NHS Confederation
  • Akiko Hart, National Survivor User Networ
  • Victoria Hornby, Mental Health Innovations
  • Dr Sarah Hughes, Centre for Mental Health
  • Poppy Jaman, MindForward Alliance
  • Dr Adrian James, Royal College of Psychiatrists
  • Tom Madders, Young Minds
  • Chris Martin, The Mix
  • Paula Ojok, Helplines Partnership
  • Kathy Roberts, Association of Mental Health Providers
  • Catherine Roche, Place2Be
  • Mark Rowland, Mental Health Foundation
  • Michael Samuel, Anna Freud Centre
  • Rosie Tressler, Student Minds
  • Mark Winstanley, Rethink Mental Illness
Nic Paton

Nic Paton is consultant editor at Personnel Today. One of the country's foremost workplace health journalists, Nic has written for Personnel Today and Occupational Health & Wellbeing since 2001, and edited the magazine from 2018.

previous post
How HR can cope with the moral dilemma of redundancy
next post
EAT: reasonable adjustment cannot give advantage in redundancy process

You may also like

Employers ‘worryingly’ ignorant about stress risk assessments

20 May 2025

Awareness weeks fuel spike in demand for mental...

19 May 2025

Four ways employers can reduce the risk of...

14 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Two-thirds of school leaders suffering mental ill health

6 May 2025

‘Healthy work’ about much more than access to...

28 Apr 2025

Call for better mental health support for NHS...

17 Apr 2025

Computer says no: IT woes giving employees sleepless...

15 Apr 2025

Nearly half did not take even one full...

14 Apr 2025

Quarter feel their employer is ineffective at managing...

11 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today