Latest NHS England figures show that black people are significantly more likely to be detained than other people under mental health laws

Latest official figures from NHS England show that black people are more likely to be detained than other people under mental health laws.

Detention rates under the Mental Health Act in 2024-25 were high for black people while detention rates among white people were negligible. The figures stood at 262.4 per 100,000 people versus 65.8 per 100,000 for white people.

The gap between the use of Community Treatment Orders – requiring patients to comply with court-ordered treatment – for black and for other people has widened too.

Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, called the figures “concerning”. 

“NHS trusts and partners are working hard to understand why these inequalities exist and to better meet the mental health needs of people from ethnic minorities earlier. The figures, showing a disturbing discrepancy in detention rates, emphasise the value and significance of that work,” he said. 

Worrying disparities

Rebecca Gray, mental health director at the NHS Confederation, said that “worrying disparities” in detention rates based on ethnicity which is causing significant concerns to those providing mental health services. 

“There is also a clear connection between deprivation and acuity of mental illness visible in today’s figures. Living in areas with the most deprivation can lead to increased social stressors for people with ongoing or emerging serious mental illnesses – such as poverty and a lack of secure housing or employment. These can drive detention levels and also impact how long people stay in inpatient wards,” she said. 

She pointed out that the revised Mental Health Act would hopefully reduce the number of and length of detentions when fully implemented. “Increasing NHS and voluntary, community and social enterprise crisis services in the community designed with communities most impacted by severe mental illness will be an essential part of the evolution of mental health services,” she added.