Thousands Across Havering And London Left To Suffer: The Hidden Mental Health Crisis Exploding.

Are our mental health services on the verge of collapse?

Across Havering and the capital, thousands of adults and children are in desperate need of mental health support—but help is heartbreakingly far from reach. In fact, the waiting list to access any form of psychological care is now so long, it can take months—sometimes even years—before someone receives help.

In Havering alone, recent figures show over 4,300 people are currently waiting for mental health support via NHS Talking Therapies. Across London, the number is far worse—with more than 125,000 people on waiting lists, many of whom are in crisis and deteriorating fast.

Nationally, the situation is even more alarming. According to Mind’s 2024 Big Mental Health Report, over 2 million people in England are on waiting lists for NHS mental health support. In 2021/22, there were 6.4 million referrals to NHS Talking Therapies and other mental health services, highlighting the immense demand on the system.

The strain is particularly severe for young people. In 2023/24, nearly 1 million children and young people in England were referred to mental health services. Shockingly, 78,577 of them waited over a year for treatment, with 44% of these waiting over two years. These prolonged waits can have devastating effects on young individuals’ development, education, and overall well-being.

As our mental health services buckle under overwhelming demand, frontline police are being forced to step in. Officers are now dealing with record-high levels of mental health-related incidents, including welfare checks, suicide risks, and violent episodes involving individuals in acute distress.

Emergency crisis lines exist. But what about prevention?

“What is that old saying? Prevention is better than cure.”

For years, our mental health system has been underfunded, under-resourced, and dangerously overlooked. Today, it’s at breaking point. It simply cannot cope with the sheer volume of people needing support.

People are often left feeling alone, stranded, and with no one to turn to—except a mind in conflict with itself.

Mental health is a buzzword now, printed across campaigns, shouted on social media, and hung on posters. But the truth behind the slogan is dark: like the NHS, the mental health care system is quietly crumbling.

And when someone finally reaches breaking point, finger-pointing politics mean nothing.

“People don’t care about whose political party is at fault. What matters is that this is a system that is broken and needs help—right now.”

Urgent funding. Immediate reform. True support. These are not wants—they are necessities.

If the government fails to act, the cost won’t just be seen in statistics. It’ll be felt in lost lives.

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