Recurring concern
Excessive waiting times for NHS mental health services
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Request correctionFirst reported 31 Jan 2014•Latest report 4 Mar 2026
What this concern includes
Includes excessive or unsafe waiting times within NHS mental health services, including delays in referral assessment, waiting-list prioritisation, psychological therapy, psychotherapy or other necessary mental health treatment, where the report identifies the delay as a safety concern.
Not included
- Excludes waiting times for non-mental-health services such as elective surgery, endoscopy, cardiology or emergency-department assessment.
- Excludes generic staffing, bed-capacity, funding or escalation deficiencies unless they are explicitly tied to excessive waiting times within NHS mental health services.
- Excludes failures in communication, assessment, referral handling or treatment quality that do not involve excessive access delays.
- Reports
- 33
- Individual concerns
- 37
- Date range
- 2014–2026
- Stated actions
- 77
Distinct published reports
A report can raise multiple concerns
First to latest report issue date
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
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Concerns raised1
Delays in providing CBT to children assessed as needing it
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Involve Off the Record staff in CAMHS intake meetings and finalise governance arrangements for cross-organisational working.
Stated by Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Significant waiting times for access to psychological therapy
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
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Action
Commission a diagnostic review of Citywide IAPT services.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board -
Action
Work with providers to implement recommendations from the IAPT diagnostic review.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board -
Action
Further examine waiting-list information to verify patient numbers and actions taken to manage waits.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
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Action
Work with the Trust to improve data-cleansing and waiting-list management processes.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
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Concerns raised1
Delays in access to psychotherapy making it an unavailable alternative to anti-depressant medication
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
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Action
Develop revised mental-health access and waiting-time standards to improve parity with physical-health services.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Implement revised mental-health access and waiting-time standards through a phased programme beginning in April 2015.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
Data last updated 7 September 2026