NHS Talking Therapies waiting times: what the latest figures show

If you are in crisis or feel unsafe, please call 999 or go to A&E. For urgent mental health support, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option. Samaritans (116 123, free, 24/7) and Shout (text 85258) are always available.

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In the latest NHS England data, covering June 2026, 85.2% of people finishing a course of NHS Talking Therapies treatment had waited less than six weeks between being referred and their first treatment appointment, which is above the NHS's own 75% standard, though waits vary widely from area to area. That is the honest headline, and it is more encouraging than most people expect when they search for this. The wait is real, but for most people it is measured in weeks rather than the many months the phrase "NHS waiting list" tends to bring to mind.

The figures on this page come from the NHS Talking Therapies monthly statistics published by NHS England on 13 August 2026, and we update this page as each new monthly release comes out. If you are earlier in the process and still working out whether talking to someone qualified is the right move at all, I need to talk to a therapist walks through every UK route in one calm place.

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How long is the wait for NHS Talking Therapies?

For June 2026, NHS England reports that 85.2% of referrals finishing a course of treatment had accessed NHS Talking Therapies within six weeks of referral, and the national picture has consistently sat above the waiting time targets. In the same month there were 158,140 referrals to the service and 109,209 referrals accessed treatment.

It is worth being precise about what that number measures, because the NHS is. The waiting time is counted from the date of referral to the first attended treatment appointment, and the monthly percentage is calculated from the group of people who finished a course of treatment in that month. It is a genuine, audited national figure, published as official statistics, but it is an average across England rather than a promise about your local service, and it measures the wait to the start of treatment rather than the gap between appointments after that.

What are the NHS waiting time standards?

The NHS Talking Therapies programme has two stated waiting time targets: 75% of referrals finishing a course of treatment should have accessed the service within six weeks, and 95% within eighteen weeks. NHS England's own reporting shows that nationally both measures have consistently been above target, particularly the six-week measure.

Those standards exist because the programme treats speed of access as part of the service, not a luxury. NHS Talking Therapies offers NICE-approved therapies for depression and anxiety, most commonly cognitive behavioural therapy, and in England you can refer yourself directly without going through a GP, with appointments available in person, by video, by phone or as an online course. If a remote format appeals, online counselling in the UK explains how that works in practice.

Why your local wait can look different

The national figure smooths over real local variation. NHS England publishes the same waiting time measures at sub-regional and provider level in the monthly data files, and the picture differs from area to area, which is why "waits vary widely" remains the fair summary for any individual service. The sensible move is to refer early rather than wait for certainty, because you can always take an earlier private or charity option later and come off the list, whereas you cannot backdate a referral you never made.

Two other honest caveats belong here. The published measure counts the wait to a first treatment appointment, so it does not describe how long the full course takes to complete. And NHS Talking Therapies is an England service, so Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own arrangements, where your GP is the usual way into NHS talking therapies and local waits are reported separately.

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What can I do while I wait?

Refer yourself first, then build support around the wait rather than putting your life on pause until the letter arrives. We have a full guide to exactly this in what to do while you wait for NHS Talking Therapies, so this section stays short rather than repeating it.

In brief, the NHS points out that talking therapies are sometimes also available at no cost through your employer, university or local charities, so it is worth checking whether one of those doors is open to you while the NHS one is in progress, and free counselling in the UK covers each of those routes properly. NHS self-help resources like Every Mind Matters, charity helplines when things feel heavy, and the ordinary foundations of sleep, movement and talking to someone you trust all belong in the meantime too.

This gap between referring and being seen is also exactly where Wobble sits. You describe what is going on in text or voice and a qualified UK therapist sends back a personal video with one or two practical things to try, usually within hours, shaped by the Wobble response framework, a structured framework built for short, practical, single-response support. There is nothing ongoing to commit to and nothing to cancel when your NHS appointment comes through, and people come back for another whenever they want one. It is not a replacement for a course of therapy, it is something real you can do today while the proper wait runs its course.

When to see your GP

Book a GP appointment if difficult feelings have been going on for several weeks with no improvement, if they are affecting your work, sleep or relationships, or if things feel like they are getting worse rather than better while you wait. A GP can check whether anything physical is contributing, talk through your options, and help you navigate local services, and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the GP is the usual route into NHS talking therapies. A referral already in progress is not a reason to hold off, and if your situation changes while you are on a list, tell the service or your GP rather than waiting quietly.

Seek urgent help if you are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm or feel you cannot keep yourself safe. Do not wait for a talking therapies appointment for this. NHS 111 has a 24/7 mental health option, Samaritans (116 123) are free to call day or night, and Shout (text 85258) is a text-based service if calling feels like too much.

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Quick summary

In the latest NHS England monthly data, for June 2026, 85.2% of people finishing a course of NHS Talking Therapies treatment had waited less than six weeks from referral to first treatment appointment, against a 75% standard, and national performance has consistently been above both the six-week and eighteen-week targets. The figure is an England-wide average measured to the start of treatment, so your local service may be faster or slower, and waits vary widely. The practical playbook is to self-refer early, check the no-cost routes through work, university or charities, lean on NHS self-help and helplines in the meantime, and use on-demand support like Wobble if you want a qualified human response while you wait. This page is updated as each monthly NHS release is published.

For every route in one place, see I need to talk to a therapist. For the full while-you-wait guide, see what to do while you wait for NHS Talking Therapies.

Sources and further reading

• NHS England: NHS Talking Therapies Monthly Statistics Including Employment Advisors, Performance June 2026, published 13 August 2026 (digital.nhs.uk)
• NHS England: NHS Talking Therapies monthly statistics, Waiting Times chapter, June 2026 (digital.nhs.uk)
• NHS: NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression (nhs.uk)
• NHS: Talking therapies (nhs.uk)
• NHS: Every Mind Matters (nhs.uk/every-mind-matters)
• NHS: Where to get urgent help for mental health (nhs.uk)
• Samaritans: 116 123 (samaritans.org)
• Shout: text 85258 (giveusashout.org)

This article is for information only and does not replace advice from a qualified medical professional. Waiting time figures are national statistics for a stated month and individual experience varies. If difficult feelings are affecting your daily life, please speak to your GP or contact NHS 111. If you are in crisis, please call 999 or go to A&E.