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Mental health patients have been left languishing in hospitals for years due to a chronic shortage in community care, as the number of people trapped on wards hits a record high, The Independent can reveal. Analysis shows 3,213 patients were stuck on units for more than three months last year, including 325 children kept in adult units. Of those a “deeply concerning” number have been deemed well enough to leave but have nowhere to go. One of these cases was Ben Craig, 31, who says he was left “scarred” after being stranded on a ward for two years – despite being fit enough to leave – because two councils fought over who should pay for his supported housing. He missed his daughter's birth and didn’t meet her until she was 18 months old while waiting to be discharged, which only exacerbated his depression. He told The Independent: “I was promised I was going to be moving on, but it just seemed like it went on forever.” The average stay for patients in low-security hospitals was 833 days in 2022-23. The NHS does not collect data on how long people are waiting to be discharged, but mental health charity Mind said Mr Craig’s case was far from unique. Leaked reports, obtained by The Independent, also reveal NHS community services are struggling to see patients, while the NHS is spending hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to house those who could be discharged. Documents for 2022-23 obtained and analysed by The Independent reveal: Adult mental health beds cost the NHS between £500 and £1,000 a day, compared to £5,000 per patient per year for community care One in five referrals for community care was rejected as the NHS battles a 12 per cent staff vacancy rate Patients waited 13 weeks on average to see a community mental health worker, but some waited up to 60 weeks The 3,213 patients stuck for more than three months was an increase of 639 on the year before and an all-time high, according to an analysis of NHS data In August, 10 per cent of patients were waiting 221 days to start community treatment One in 10 patients under a community mental health team did not see a healthcare worker for a year Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive for NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, told The Independent mental health patients stuck in hospitals were experiencing “personal distress” and getting ill again while they wait. She called on the government to put mental health on an “equal foot” to physical care and said not doing so suggested the government was content not to treat all patients equally. One senior NHS source said long stays in mental health units had become “normalised” and patients were becoming institutionalised. “These 60 and 90 [days] stayers are just being medicated and drifting. They’re adjusting meds to stabilise the person ... These long-stays people can get completely dependent, they lose contact with the world [and] their life, They’re terrible for people,” they said. ‘Robbed’ Mr Craig was admitted to Prestwich Hospital in September 2019 with psychosis from prison after his mental health deteriorated and he began hearing voices. In 2020 he was told by doctors he was well enough to be discharged home after his sentence ended. However, he then had two years of his life “robbed” as two councils rowed over who should fund the mental health hostel he needed to be discharged into to support his recovery. He was eventually discharged into supported living in September 2022 where he still receives mental health support. Mr Craig, who now lives in Manchester, told The Independent: “I was very depressed, I am still not over it properly yet. When I was there, I just didn’t want to go out or anything, so just stayed in my bed all the time. “I missed my daughter’s birth, and I didn’t see her until she was eighteen months old ... it’s left me scarred.” Even when he was finally discharged into supported living accommodation he says the community mental health team had “no input” into his care and says he was still struggling to get in contact with his community service team. Rheian Davies, head of Mind’s legal unit, told The Independent that cases like Mr Craig’s showed councils were failing in their legal duty to fund mental health support in the community. She said the charity had seen patients with longer discharge delays than Mr Craig’s due to this problem. “It’s deeply concerning that people are finding themselves stuck in hospital, their lives on hold, due to a lack of supported housing,” she said. “Delays in leaving hospital cause uncertainty and anxiety that can hamper or even reverse recovery. “This takes a huge emotional toll on the person and their loved ones, but the delay in discharge also means there are fewer beds available for people experiencing mental health crises.” She added that patients “deserve much better than being held indefinitely in hospital settings when they are well enough to return to the community”. Ms Davies said: “This case [Mr Craig’s] is a real opportunity to reduce the delays and hurdles caused by a disjointed system.” Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation Trust said: “We work hard with all our system partners to ensure where patients are ready for discharge, they can do so as quickly as it is safe to do so.” Abena Oppong-Asare, Labour’s shadow mental health minister, said The Independent’s exposé showed NHS mental health services were “in crisis”. She added: “The Independent investigation reveals the appalling reality that patients are being left in hospital for months, when community care can be far more effective and less expensive for the NHS.” As part of its election manifesto pledges, Labour has promised to recruit 8,500 more mental health professionals, paid for through plans to abolish “tax loopholes for private equity fund managers and tax breaks for private schools”. The Department of Health and Social Care said in 2021-22 an additional £116m was invested in the NHS for mental health discharges and that it will have invested £1bn more in the sector by March 2024. An NHS England spokesperson said: “There is no doubt mental health services are under significant pressure, with the NHS treating record numbers of young people and community crisis services seeing a 30 per cent increase in referrals compared to before the pandemic, and NHS urgent and emergency care also treating record numbers.” Read More Rosalynn Carter tributes will highlight her reach as first lady, humanitarian and small-town Baptist Friends target rowing world record to raise awareness of mental health challenge Women in mental health crisis being jailed in prisons deemed ‘unfit for purpose’ Suspect in fatal Hawaii nurse stabbing pleaded guilty last year to assaulting mental health worker The Priory hospital fined £140k after woman dies on ‘utter shambles’ ward Dumped in A&E and left untreated for 5 days: Shameful plight of vulnerable patients

David and Victoria Beckham have celebrated their daughter Harper’s 12th birthday a couple of days earlier with a party at the Prada Caffè in Harrods. The couple’s only daughter will turn a year older on Monday 10 July. She wore a silk lilac slip dress with lace trim from Victoria’s label, with sporty trainers and a sparkly £950 Prada Re-Edition handbag. The proud designer shared snaps from the party on her Instagram account, including a snap of her and Harper with their arms around one another, as well as the birthday girl with her famous footballer father and brothers Romeo and Cruz. Victoria wrote in the caption: “Harper Seven is 12!! (almost) Prada party for Harper Seven CHIC!” Harper was also pictured beaming with a large personalised cake in front of her, with 12 tall white candles waiting to be blown out. Fans praised Harper for her style and wished her a happy birthday. “You can just tell that she’s a genuine good kid! Happy birthday Harper!” one person wrote. Another said: “She’s so tall now! What a lovely young lady she’s become.” The luxurious Prada Caffè features pistachio-coloured walls and interiors, with black-and-white checkerboard floors and marble tables. The themed café opened in March and promises to bring a taste of Milan to Harrods. It comes after Victoria and David marked their 24th wedding anniversary last week with three of their four children. Their eldest son Brooklyn lives in the US with his wife, Nicola Peltz. The couple married on 4 July 1999 in a ceremony at Ireland’s Luttrellstown Castle. They paid tribute to one another on social media by posting throwback photographs of each other and sharing sweet messages. Victoria previously described Harper as her “number one muse” and has created designs especially for her. In January, she shared a mirror selfie of her and Harper, with the then-11-year-old in a strapless ombre gown and sneakers. She wrote: “Mummy loved creating this dress for you.” However, Harper doesn’t always share her former pop star mother’s sartorial tastes. Last year, Victoria revealed just what her daughter thought of the Spice Girls’ iconic miniskirts. Speaking to Vogue Australia, the Spice Girl formerly known as Posh Spice said her daughter is “not one of these kids who are going out with a full face of make-up and a crop top”. “She actually said to me recently, ‘Mummy, I’ve seen some pictures of you when you were in the Spice Girls and your skirts were just unacceptable. They were just too short,” Victoria recalled. “And she was actually quite disgusted at how short my skirts were. “I said, ‘Are you never going to wear skirts like that?’ She said, ‘Absolutely not’. We’ll see.” In the same interview Victoria revealed that she was concerned that Harper will be subjected to body shaming when she is old enough to use social media. She said that her daughter was not allowed on social media yet, but she was concerned about “how cruel people can be”. “She’s at that age where her body is going to start changing, but it’s about making sure that we communicate a lot as a family and she surrounds herself with nice friends,” Victoria said. “But it is quite terrifying, I can’t lie.” Read More Conflict, toxic group chats and organised fun: How we came to despise the hen do Woman exits plane after tirade about passenger who is ‘not real’: ‘Final Destination vibes’ Who is in the Royal Box on the sixth day of Wimbledon? David Beckham pays tribute to Victoria on 24th wedding anniversary Every Barbie-inspired outfit Margot Robbie has worn so far How to make your summer tan last longer

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Have your tickets to see Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie this weekend but don't have your outfit planned? Problem solved thanks to the just-released Zara x Barbie collection. Available to shop today, the capsule line includes pieces and full looks directly inspired by the movie — think: the pink gingham dress and black-and-white striped one-piece Margot Robbie’s Barbie is seen wearing in the trailer, as well as the Western outfits worn by both Barbie and Ryan Gosling’s Ken.

A brand of over-the-counter hay fever tablets are likely to be popular this summer after they were hailed a “miracle cure” by social media users. Several videos made by TikTok creators have recently gone viral after they discovered that Allevia, an antihistamine that retails for as little as £4, could relieve them of hay fever’s symptoms, which include sneezing, a runny nose, itchy eyes or throat and more. The tablets, which claim to provide relief from symptoms for 24 hours, were previously only available on prescription but were re-classified to general sales status by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in December 2021. They are now available in most supermarkets and pharmacies. How is fexofenadine hydrochloride used? The active ingredient in the tablets is fexofenadine hydrochloride, which works by blocking the effects of histamine in the body, subsequently reducing symptoms such as itching and sneezing. Is Allevia any good? One TikTok user who was previously struggling with hay fever said all of her symptoms were “completely gone” after taking the tablet. Another shared an in-depth review of the effects of the tablets after a full day. After five hours of taking the medication, she said she hadn’t sneezed once. “This actually works. I’m impressed. My eyes are not bulging because they are itching. I feel good, I can enjoy the sun,” she said. She gave another update eight hours after taking the tablet, telling viewers that she had been out all day “around nature and plants” and still showed no symptoms. @tianarene1 it worked for me, but lmk your experience! Always read the leaflet to be safe! #allevia #alleviareview #hayfevertablets #hayfeversymtoms #hayfever ♬ original sound - Tiana René One Twitter user said: “Allevia has changed my life, what a drug.” “I have gone from having the worst hay fever you will ever see anyone have in your whole life, to feeling like I’ve never had it. Allevia, you have cured me,” a third person said. The popular tablets are stocked in most of the UK’s popular supermarkets, including Asda, Tesco, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s. They are also available in Boots and Superdrug. Side effects of Allevia include headaches, dizziness, nausea and drowsiness. Read More Triathlete proudly shares ‘beautiful’ racing photo where she bled through swimsuit while on her period A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin admitted to hospital amid terminal diagnosis Parents defend Nick the Fairy Godmother’s apprentice at Disneyland after viral video Schoolboy almost dies from swallowing magnets for TikTok challenge Woman shares honest review of New York City apartment TikTok mom slammed after making 5-year-old son run in 104 degree heat

Lewis Hamilton’s Formula One future could be resolved as early as before this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix. Hamilton has six months to run on his £40million-a-season deal with Mercedes, but team principal Toto Wolff said his superstar driver is on the brink of agreeing new terms. “It is going to happen soon, and we are talking more days than weeks,” Wolff told CNBC’s Squawk on the Street programme in New York when asked about Hamilton’s contract negotiations. “We are trying hard [to get it done before the Canadian Grand Prix]. I will see him today and maybe we will talk about it. “We have such a good relationship that we dread the moment that we need to talk about money.” Hamilton, 38, met with Wolff the day after the last round in Spain in the hope of rubber-stamping a fresh contract with the Silver Arrows. It is anticipated that the British driver’s extension will be a multi-year deal, extending his stay in F1 beyond his 40th birthday. “Lewis is the most important personality in the sport,” added Wolff. Lewis is the most important personality in the sport Toto Wolff “He is so multi-faceted, not only with the racing, but also off track, so we need to keep him in the sport for as long as possible. “From a team’s perspective, Lewis and Mercedes have gone back a long time. He has never raced for any other brand than Mercedes. “We both joined the team in 2013 together, and from a professional relationship, we now have a friendship. It has been a wonderful time.” Hamilton, who has not won a race since his contentious championship defeat to Max Verstappen at the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi, is already 83 points off the title pace this year. But Mercedes’ recent upturn in form has provided Hamilton, who finished runner-up to Red Bull’s Verstappen at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, with renewed hope that his dream of a record eighth world title is not over. However, Wolff warned: “The result in Spain was a well-deserved reward for everyone’s efforts at Brackley and Brixworth to bring our update package to the track. “We were pleased with how it performed, and it will provide a new baseline for us to build from. “But we must also manage our expectations. It was a circuit that suited our car, and we should expect our direct competitors to be stronger in the next races. “The gap to Red Bull is large and it will take lots of hard work to close that down. Nevertheless, we’re up for the challenge.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live On this day in 2007: Lewis Hamilton claims first Formula One victory Susie Wolff urges F1 teams to back initiatives to help develop female drivers Max Verstappen tops rain-hit final practice for Spanish Grand Prix

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Bernard Arnault, the billionaire CEO of LVMH, has arrived in China, accompanied with his daughter and the head