It is good to see that the number of people accessing NHS funded mental services has increased, from 3.6 million in 2016–17 to 4.5 million in 2021–22. However, this equates to only around one third of people with mental health needs accessing services, with an estimated eight million still not doing so.43 NHSE acknowledged that, under the current planned rates of service expansion, sizable treatment gaps will persist, even if it meets its access targets for 2023–24. There are also 1.2 million people currently waiting to be seen following their referral to community mental health services.44