These statistics are troubling. Not only do they suggest the pandemic’s toll on mental health services within the NHS nationwide, but they are deeply concerning when considered with the fact that in the face of such backlog, crises can occur. Research from the Royal College of Psychiatrists notes the presence of a “hidden waiting list”, a length of time between an initial referral appointment and a secondary follow-up appointment. Research stated that there was a significant decline in mental health during this waiting period; 1 in 4 patients had to wait longer than three months and 1 in 9 patients had to wait longer than six months for a second appointment. Two-fifths of respondents stated that they had called emergency or crisis services while waiting for a second appointment; 1 in 9 patients ended up in A&E. This belies a worryingly reactive, rather than proactive approach; due to the backlog of NHS services, patients are having to wait until they reach a crisis point in order to receive help.

The NHS has called for increased funding to be able to tackle the support backlogs exacerbated by the pandemic. However, increasing funding while neglecting some of the root causes could mean this money is spent on adding more technical workarounds rather than simplifying how data interconnects. This could ultimately mean a lack of noticeable improvements to existing mental health support services, as issues are not resolved and are made more difficult to manage.

Many current issues lie within the backlog of paper-based and uncommunicative data. NHS Trusts currently use up to 400 different software systems for different areas; these systems fail to work together effectively, meaning that it’s difficult to consolidate important patient information efficiently. Clinicians are required to navigate complex systems, slowing down their ability to provide adequate patient care in a time frame that handles increasing demand.