Start with the referral trail
- Check the date the referral was sent and which service it went to. Your GP practice can often confirm this from your record.
- Contact the receiving service and ask whether the referral is logged, whether it has been triaged and whether they need anything else from you.
- Check that the service has your current phone number, email and postal address.
Questions that usually get a useful answer
- “Can you confirm that my referral is active?”
- “Am I waiting for an assessment, treatment, or both?”
- “Is there an approximate waiting time for the stage I am at?”
- “How will you contact me, and what should I do if I miss a call?”
If nobody can find the referral
- Ask the GP practice and service to check the destination and date before creating a duplicate referral.
- If it was rejected, redirected or closed, ask for the reason and the recommended next route.
- If your symptoms or ability to cope have changed, tell your GP or service rather than waiting for the original plan to catch up.
Keep it manageable
You do not have to solve the whole waiting period today. Pick the smallest useful next step: save a number, write down a question, send one message or ask someone you trust to sit with you while you call.
Trusted sources and next steps
NHS: how to access mental-health services ↗NHS: talking therapies ↗General UK information, not a diagnosis or personal treatment plan. Services and pathways vary by area and UK nation. Information reviewed 31 August 2026.