Mental health crisis services rolled out across England

As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has announced that new alternative forms of provision such as safe havens and crisis cafes will open across the country.

More than £200 million of funding has been allocated to local areas to transform urgent and emergency mental health care through a network of services over the next two years.

Until now, just under half of NHS mental health crisis teams currently operate on a 24/7 basis but under the plans, every single one will offer round the clock support, making access to care much easier for people in need of urgent mental health support. This means that people will be able to self-refer to in the same way they can for urgent physical health care – mostly over the phone but also online or by simply dropping in.

The investment will also boost the roll out of new or expanded crisis services such as safe havens, crisis cafes and crisis houses in every region. NHS England also says that a further £140 million will bolster these services from 2021 onwards.

Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive, said: “The NHS is delivering on its pledge to improve mental health support, with every local health service now signed up to providing a round-the-clock community mental health crisis service by 2021. This means people will be able to self-refer in the same way they can for urgent physical health care. And it will also help relieve pressure on other emergency services including A&Es, the police and ambulances.”

Claire Murdoch, national mental health director for the NHS said: “Specialist NHS mental health crisis teams working with the voluntary sector on alternative forms of provision such as crisis cafes and safe havens, can often be a better way of meeting needs of people experiencing a mental health crisis than A&E or an inpatient psychiatric admission. Rolling these services out in every part of the country will help to address some of the most pressing inequalities in access to urgent care that people with mental health needs have experienced.

“This investment in life changing services will also pave the way for the flagship long-term plan ambition to make NHS 111 the single universal point of access for urgent mental health care by 2024.”