NHS to Open Dozens of Mental Health Crisis Centres Across England
Specialist mental health crisis centres are set to open across England over the next ten years in a major NHS initiative to reduce overcrowding in hospital A&E departments.
Ten hospital trusts have piloted the new assessment units aimed at supporting people in mental health crisis, offering care in a calm environment and helping them avoid long waits in emergency departments.
NHS England says the scheme is part of its wider ten-year plan to transform emergency mental health support and reduce pressure on frontline services, including the police.
Walk-in Clinics to Support Patients in Mental Distress
The planned centres will be open to walk-in patients and those referred by GPs or emergency services. Each facility will be staffed with mental health professionals equipped to handle acute psychological distress.
Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, told The Times the new clinics represent a “pioneering model of care” where people “get the right support in the right setting”.
“As well as relieving pressure on our busy A&Es, mental health crisis assessment centres can speed up access to appropriate care, offering people the help they need much sooner so they can stay out of hospital,” he said.
Concerns Over Funding and Implementation
Andy Bell, CEO of the Centre for Mental Health, raised concerns about the rollout, warning that the model remains untested on a national scale.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said: “We need to robustly test the model at every stage before we even think about rolling it out nationally.”
He added that mental and physical health issues are often deeply connected and can’t be separated simply: “These facilities need to be introduced carefully — with proper funding and staffing — or we risk failing the very people we aim to help.”
Bell also warned that NHS spending on mental health had declined last year and is forecast to fall again, putting added pressure on services.
Record A&E Waits Add Urgency to Reform
A recent study into emergency care in England revealed a record number of people — more than 60,000 — waited over 12 hours in A&E after being approved for admission in January. That’s 11% of all emergency admissions.
The new mental health hubs aim to take some of that strain away by diverting cases that don’t require full hospitalisation.
Government Pledges £26m for Mental Health Services
Last month, the government announced additional funding to improve mental health crisis services, including £26m for the expansion of these new centres and more hiring.
Minister for Mental Health Baroness Merron said: “Too often, people experiencing mental health crisis are not getting the support or care they deserve. It is vital that we provide a range of services like this one.”
She said the government is “transforming” mental health services by investing in staff, expanding talking therapies, and reducing waiting lists.
“On top of this, through our proposed reforms to the Mental Health Act, we will ensure people with the most severe mental health conditions get better, more personalised care.”