Mental health patients are increasingly having to turn to A&E for help, experts have warned, as new research suggests nearly one in four are being forced to wait more than 12 weeks to start treatment.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists said its research found 43% of adults with mental illness say the long waits for treatment have led to their mental health getting worse. Almost a quarter (23%) have to wait more than 12 weeks to start treatment, with many so desperate they turn to A&E or dial 999.
The college said many people face a “hidden wait time” for starting treatment, with no publicly available data on how long people wait from their initial referral to actually starting treatment.
Those surveyed for the research had a range of mental illnesses, including eating disorders, addiction, bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression.
Patients whose mental health deteriorated said it had led to financial problems such as debt, struggles with work resulting in job loss, as well as relationship difficulties, including divorce and family breakdown. A significant proportion end up so desperate for help that they turn to A&E or ring 999, the college said.
It is calling for a year-on-year increase of medical school places from 7,000 to 15,000 by 2028/29 and a fully funded workforce strategy to tackle staff shortages.
Dr Kate Lovett, the college’s presidential lead for recruitment, said: “We cannot sit idly by and watch the most vulnerable people in our society end up in crisis. Not only do spiralling mental health waiting times wreak havoc on patients’ lives, but they also leave NHS services with the impossible task of tackling rising demand.”
One female patient, a 45-year-old from south London, told how she ended up in A&E after having to wait seven months to be referred to a community team.
“The only other way to get help was to present to A&E, which was a traumatic experience – having to be reassessed and readmitted again and again. Turning up to A&E was the only way I could be seen regularly. No one should have to go through that.”
It comes as separate research for the charity Mind found 40% of 16- to 24-year-olds say they do not have the words to share how they are feeling when struggling with their mental health. Most (91%) said they turned to creative outlets like listening to music or spoken word to help them cope with their feelings.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Mental wellbeing is a priority for the government and we will invest an additional £2.3bn a year into mental health services by 2024 – giving 2 million more people the help they need.”
The government will announce on Monday that a NHS service helping people who are receiving mental health support with their employment will be rolled out nationally. About £122m is being invested to expand the service so people receiving help for common mental health problems have access to an employment adviser, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will say.
Sean Duggan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation’s mental health network, said it was “welcome news” but added that with 1 million people now on waiting lists for specialist mental healthcare it was “deeply worrying” that the government’s long-term vision “remains a mystery”.
