National survey reveals problems in service users accessing mental health care and getting the support they need, including in times of crisis

As demand for community mental health services continues to grow, a new national survey reveals persistent concerns around access to care and the overall patient experience. Results from the latest Community Mental Health Survey show that many people continue to experience long waiting times and struggle to access timely help and crisis care, with little improvement compared to 2023.

The Community Mental Health Survey 2024, coordinated by Picker on behalf of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), gathered feedback from more than 14,600 people who were in contact with services between April and May 2024. The survey provides important insights into the quality of person centred care provided to those receiving community mental health services across the country.

Access to services remains an issue

Similar to 2023, a third of respondents (33%) reported waiting more than three months between their initial assessment with an NHS mental health team and their first appointment for treatment.

Participants were asked if they experienced any changes in their mental health whilst waiting for their first appointment. Among those who experienced the longest delays, 54% of people waiting 3-6 months and 71% waiting more than 6 months reported a deterioration in their mental health during the wait.

Getting help

People were asked about times when they had seen someone from NHS mental health services for their mental health needs over the last 12 months. In 2024, almost a quarter (23%) said that they did not get the help they needed – a small but statistically significant increase from 22% in 2023.

Unmet needs in crisis care

While it is encouraging that 78% of respondents reported knowing who to contact if they had a crisis, only 40% said they ‘definitely’ got the help they needed the last time they made contact (a slight decrease from 41% in 2023) and only 30% felt that the NHS mental health team ‘definitely’ give their family or carer support while they were in crisis (a decrease of 1% point from 31% in 2023).

Inequalities in experience

The survey also highlights significant disparities in mental health care experiences across different demographic groups. Disabled people, autistic people, and younger adults (aged 16-35) reported notable poorer experiences in several key areas.

Commenting on the results, Jenny King, Picker‘s Chief Research Officer, said:

“We know that the public are concerned about access to NHS services and the latest Community Mental Health Survey results provide further evidence that too many people face significant challenges in accessing timely, effective mental health care, with little progress since 2023. Long waits, unmet needs during crises, and widening inequalities in experience – particularly for younger adults, autistic people, and disabled people – highlight an urgent need for more responsive, person centred care.

With the Health and Social Care Committee conducting an inquiry into community mental health services, and the upcoming 10-year plan for health, there is an important window of opportunity to use the insights from service users, their families and carers in co-designing community mental health services fit for the future. Policy makers should listen to and act on the experiences of service users, and providers should explore their local results to identify specific areas for improvement”

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Notes to editors

• For media enquiries, please contact Marketing and Communications team at pressoffice@pickereurope.ac.uk, or phone: 01865 632 235.

• The survey is commissioned and published by the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England.

• People were eligible for the survey if they were aged 16 or over, were seen face-to-face (including via video conference) or had a telephone consultation between 1st April and 31st May 2024, and had had at least one other contact with mental health services either before, during, or after this period. People who were seen only once for an assessment were not included; nor were people primarily receiving care from any of the following services: drug and alcohol; learning disabilities; specialist forensic; Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT); chronic fatigue/ME; psychosexual medicine; gender identity; or memory clinics.

• The survey was conducted between August and December 2024. 14,619 people responded, a response rate of 20%.

• Details about how the survey was administered and full results are available at https://nhssurveys.org/surveys/survey/05-community-mental-health/year/2024/

Picker’s team of researchers and data scientists are available to support organisations in understanding, measuring, and using workforce and user experience. For queries about our services or to request a call, please contact info@pickereurope.ac.uk.