Business

Patients of the NHS wait six months for appointments with psychologists

Waiting times for psychological consultations in the NHS can stretch for months, with the head of the Psychologists' Order suggesting increased state investment.

4 September 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

AI-generatedWritten by an AI system, editorially responsible — how we work

Archive photo: Patients of the NHS wait six months for appointments with psychologists — Archive photoPhoto: Bottelho · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Patients of the National Health Service (NHS) are waiting an average of six months to secure an appointment with a psychologist. This significant delay has raised concerns among both patients and mental health professionals.

In addition to the waiting time for the first appointment, the intervals between consultations can also last for months, which can negatively impact the treatment and recovery of patients. Sofia Ramalho, head of the Psychologists' Order, highlighted the seriousness of the situation.

Ramalho argues that an increase in investment in the sector is necessary, suggesting that the state budget should cover a considerable portion of the costs related to psychological support.

The current situation raises questions about the NHS's capacity to meet the needs of patients, particularly in critical areas such as mental health.

This item was written by an AI system on the basis of the headlines and short teasers of the independently operating newsrooms named below. We disclose this under Art. 50(4), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act). Before publication we check origin and verifiability — anything that appears in only one place is not published — as well as language, substance and legally sensitive content. No separate substantive review of each individual item by a natural person takes place; we therefore do not rely on the exemption in Art. 50(4), second subparagraph, of the AI Act. Editorial responsibility for this publication rests with the person named in the imprint (§ 18 Abs. 2 MStV). Please report errors to [email protected] — we will correct or remove the item. Full reports are available from the sources listed.