More than a million people with mental health problems have been ignored by the NHS in 12 months.
Some 1.1million had their referrals closed without treatment between June 2021 and 2022, according to NHS Digital.
One patient, Fiona, 36, suffers from OCD and anxiety but is often turned away from hospital. At her worst, she went to A&E near her home in Littlehampton, Sussex, every two weeks because she wanted to kill herself.
She told the Sunday Mirror: “They would always say, ‘There’s no new beds’. No matter what condition you’re in, they send you home.”
Her parents used their savings to pay £11,000 to send her to the private Southampton Priory after she was turned away from Worthing Hospital’s A&E despite a suicide attempt.
Fiona now pays £104 a month in benefits for therapy and her parents fund a £180-an-hour psychiatrist every few months. She said: “I might not be here today if my parents didn’t have savings. A lot of people won’t be here today because they didn’t have that. I know people who have taken their lives because they were left with no support.”
Figures also show 108,602 children and young people were still waiting to speak to a professional after seeking support in the year to March 2021. And 74,164 were still waiting for a referral after making one contact with a professional over issues with mental health during that time.
Rosena Allin-Khan, shadow mental health minister and a hospital doctor, has slammed the Government for not doing enough to help, ahead of World Mental Health Day on Monday. She said: “Referrals for children and young people with eating disorders have doubled, and referrals for children who are self-harming have tripled.
“In one trust, children have been waiting up to 79 hours in A&E. This is the direct result of Tory cuts.”
More than two-fifths of children have their referrals closed before treatment at East and North Hertfordshire CCG and East Riding of Yorkshire CCG – the highest rates in the country, say Children’s Commissioner figures.
Brian Dow, of Rethink Mental Illness, said: “Covid-19 put huge pressure on the mental health system and many are struggling with lengthy waits. Government must prioritise mental health.”
Claire Murdoch, NHS national mental health director, said: “Our world leading NHS Talking Therapies programme has helped a record number. Despite the pandemic, the NHS kept increasing access to talking therapies for anxiety or depression.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Mental wellbeing remains a priority for the government and we have committed to invest at least an additional £2.3 billion per year into mental health services by 2024 – giving two million more people the help they need.
“As laid out in Our Plan for Patients, we will improve the availability of mental health support for all ages - including access to NHS talking therapies and strengthening support in schools.”
The Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust was contacted for comment.
The Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or head to the website to find your nearest branch. You matter.
