ONE in seven consultant psychiatrist posts are vacant across England, with staff shortages creating barriers to care for people experiencing mental illness, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has warned.
Its latest census reveals that there is one consultant psychiatrist for every 2,540 people expected to experience mental illness each year in the country, with consultants being pushed to “breaking point” by “unsustainable” staff shortages.
Unmanageable workloads are reportedly contributing to burnout and causing clinicians to work part-time, take early retirement, or switch careers.
Dr Lade Smith CBE, President, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, UK, said: “We have seen new referrals to mental health services rise from 4.4 million to 5.5 million a year since 2021, yet workforce growth has slowed in the last couple of years.
“It is clearly not sustainable to have one in seven consultant psychiatrist posts vacant if we want to deliver the care and treatment these patients so desperately need.
“I see it every day; psychiatrists are being pushed to breaking point as they work to compensate for these unacceptable workforce shortages.
“It is particularly concerning to see that eating disorder and children and young people’s services are so understaffed as three quarters of mental illness occurs by the age of 24.
“Clinicians work in high-stress environments where decisions directly affect patient safety and outcomes.”
The census found that 14% of consultant psychiatrist posts across England were vacant at the end of March 2025, increasing from 10% and 6% in 2021 and 2015, respectively.
More than a quarter of posts were unfilled or covered by locums as services are, the Royal College reports, increasingly forced to rely on temporary staff.
The Retention Charter
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has published a landmark ‘Retention Charter’, providing healthcare institutions with guidance on how to keep psychiatrists in the profession.
Dr Smith continued: “What we need is for Government to address this situation as a matter of urgency by including long-term measures to recruit and retain more psychiatrists in the upcoming workforce plan for England.
“We’ve provided the tools, and are keen to work with Government to get this right now and for the future.”
The Royal College emphasised the importance of the government, not only recruiting mental health staff, but explicitly focusing on consultant psychiatrist positions.
It reported: “We need reaffirmed commitments to double medical school places, forecasts for the growth of the psychiatric workforce, and action to address bottlenecks in medical training pathways.”
Featured image: M.Dörr & M.Frommherz on Adobe Stock
