In August 2021, we reported on record numbers of combined mental health referrals to NHS Services in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
We found:
- In March 2021, monthly mental health referrals across the UK hit their highest point in two years.
- Around 300,000 people were referred to NHS mental health services in Great Britain in March this year, a rise of 18% from the total in February 2020, the month before the pandemic struck.
- The rise is driven by an increase in referrals across England. Some CCGs, like Leeds, Redbridge and Greater Preston, have seen referrals more than double compared to pre-Covid levels.
- But while referrals are rising, the number of people receiving mental health treatment remains lower than pre-pandemic levels.
- Over the same time period, our analysis found the number of people in contact with the service had dropped by around 67,000 - a fall of 9%.
Charities have suggested a combination of social distancing restrictions and a move to online treatments has reduced capacity. Concerns are also growing that a spike in urgent crisis referrals suggests people are entering the system more unwell than they would have been.
We analysed figures from 117 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) in England, and health boards across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
For England, we ignored CCGs which were created in an NHS reorganisation in April 2020, and those which ceased to exist at the same time, as it would have been impossible to compare change over time.
English data came from the Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics.
Scottis hdata was sourced from Public Health Scotland's Psychological Therapies Waiting Times publication.
For Wales, we analysed data from Stats Wales, while data from Northern Ireland was supplied on request by Health and Social Care Northern Ireland.
Our findings were shared in a spreadsheet, here. We also produced a detailed background pack, available here.
The Shared Data Unit makes data journalism available to news organisations across the media industry, as part of a partnership between the BBC and the News Media Association. Stories based on this research included:
- Inverness Courier: Highland campaign group No More Lost Souls call for urgent improvements in mental health support 23 August 2021
- Island Echo Pandemic creates 40% surge in mental health referrals on the Isle of Wight 18 August 2021
- Northampton Chronicle and Echo Drop in number of homeless people using Northamptonshire trust's mental health services during Covid 19 August 2021
- Mental Health Today Referrals for mental health services surge across Great Britain 18 August 2021
- Cornish Stuff Surge in mental health referrals in Cornwall, 19 August 2021
- Hemel Today Mental health referrals rise across Herts Valleys CCG area 20 August 2021
- Romford Recorder Mental health referral rates rise across east London 18 August 2021
- Nothamptonshire Telegraph Drop in number of homeless people using Northamptonshire trust's mental health services during Covid 19 August 2021
- Bristol Cable How Bristol is responding to surging demand for mental health support linked to Covid-19 2 September 2021
- Warrington Guardian Covid sees huge urgent mental health crisis referral rise 29 August 2021
The story featured on BBC Radio 4 news bulletins and on BBC News builletins, as well as on local radio stations such as BBC 3 Counties Radio, BBC Solent, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Cornwall, BBC West Midlands, BBC Hereford and Worcester, BBC Leicester, BBC Nottingham, BBC Kent, BBC Cornwall and BBC Leeds.
It was also covered by BBC Wales, BBC Northern Ireland and East Midlands Today.
You can find all coronavirus-related stories by the BBC data units tagged 'coronavirus' here