Registration Opens
April
Data Collection
w/c 1st June
Validation
July - September
Outputs Released
November
Findings Events
December
Key Dates for 2026/27:
Now in its 15th year, the NHS Benchmarking Network’s Adult and Older People’s Mental Health Benchmarking dataset provides a comprehensive, UK-wide view of mental health service provision.
The latest dataset delivers robust, comparable data on adult and older people’s community and inpatient mental health services across all four UK nations.
The programme brings together key performance, activity, workforce and financial metrics, offering valuable insights into service delivery, variation, and best practice. The findings support service improvement, strategic planning, and informed decision-making at local, regional, and national levels.
All data and reporting are aligned with current UK-wide service, policy and practice priorities. While health policy and service models vary across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, there is strong alignment around shared priorities for delivering safe, effective, high-quality mental health care.
Key Themes:
Productivity metrics
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Community and inpatient services – rereferrals/readmissions, DNAs, contacts delivered by the workforce, HR metrics financial sustainability
Community Mental Health Services
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Access
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Waiting times
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Caseload
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Contacts
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Workforce
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Finance
Health inequalities
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Racial inequality
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Gender inequality
Inpatient Mental Health Services
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Bed capacity and occupancy
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Patient Safety
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Lengths of stay
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Detentions under the Mental Health Act
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Workforce
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Finance
Outcomes
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Patient reported outcomes and experience measures
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Clinician reported outcomes