Latest news with #crisiscentres
The Independent
24-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
NHS to open more ‘mental health A&Es' to relieve pressure on hospitals
The NHS will open more mental health crisis centres across England in a bid to keep those patients out of 'crowded A&Es', the head of NHS England has said. The new service, staffed by specialist doctors and nurses, will be open to patients who present symptoms of a mental health crisis, such as suicidal thoughts or psychosis, The Times reported. Ten NHS trusts have already launched separate units for mental health emergencies, some on the sites of existing A&Es, which are open to walk-in patients are well as those referred to the service by GPs and police. The scheme is expected to be expanded nationally to dozens of locations as part of a 10-year NHS plan to be published this summer by the Labour government, according to the newspaper. Sir Jim Mackey, the chief executive of NHS England, told the paper: 'Crowded A&Es are not designed to treat people in mental health crisis. 'We need to do better, which is why we are pioneering a new model of care where patients 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.' Patients attending emergency services with mental health symptoms are twice as likely to wait 12 hours or more than other patients, a 2022 report from The Royal College of Emergency Medicine found. The new mental health units will seek to reduce the waiting time for mental health patients and avoid the overcrowding of A&E departments amid a 'corridor care' crisis and pressure on other emergency services, including police. In November 2023, the Metropolitan Police, the country's largest force, announced its officers would not attend mental health call-outs where a healthcare professional is more appropriate. Claire Murdoch, the NHS national director for mental health, told the newspaper: 'I would certainly hope to see these mental health A&Es across the country over the next decade.' Dr Luke Evans MP, shadow health minister, said the Conservatives welcomed the move. He added: 'However, this follows the Labour Government's decision to cut mental health spending as a proportion of the overall NHS budget and impose a Jobs' Tax that has forced mental health charities and local authorities to redirect their resources away from those struggling most. 'This Government must now make sure that these units are funded properly so that those struggling the most with their mental health can receive the targeted and compassionate care they're in need of.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Urgent mental health centres to open across England
Specialist mental health crisis centres will be opened across England over the next decade in a bid to reduce crowding in accident and emergency departments (A&E), the NHS has confirmed. Ten hospital trusts have been piloting new assessment centres to deal with people experiencing a mental health crisis. The aim is to get these patients to appropriate care in a calm environment, avoiding long waits in A&E. NHS England said the new units would reduce overcrowding in hospitals and relieve pressure on emergency services, including the police. But Andy Bell, the CEO of the Centre for Mental Health, said any new provision needed to be properly funded. The scheme is expected to be expanded nationally to "dozens of locations", the government said, as part of its ten-year NHS plan. These clinics will be open to walk-in patients as well as those referred by GPs and police, with specialist staff present to treat people in acute mental distress. Speaking to the Times newspaper, NHS England chief Sir Jim Mackey hailed the "pioneering new model of care", where people can "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." Andy Bell told BBC Breakfast he was sceptical of the scheme because it was untested. He said it was impossible to separate out physical and mental health problems so simply, calling for separate facilities to be put in place "carefully". "We need to robustly test the model at every stage before we even think about rolling it out nationally," Mr Bell added. Calling for better funding of NHS mental health services, he noted the share of health spending on mental health treatment had gone down last year and was set to do so again. A recent study of emergency care in England found that the number of people waiting 12 hours or more in A&E after a decision to admit to a ward was the highest since modern records began. It topped 60,000 in January, or 11% of emergency admissions. The government also announced the expansion of a scheme last month to help GPs provide care and advice to patients, without them joining long NHS hospital waiting lists in England.
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Urgent mental health centres to open across England
Specialist mental health crisis centres will be opened across England over the next decade in a bid to reduce crowding in accident and emergency departments (A&E), the NHS has hospital trusts have been piloting new assessment centres to deal with people experiencing a mental health aim is to get these patients to appropriate care in a calm environment, avoiding long waits in A&E. NHS England said the new units would reduce overcrowding in hospitals and relieve pressure on emergency services, including the Andy Bell, the CEO of the Centre for Mental Health, said any new provision needed to be properly funded. The scheme is expected to be expanded nationally to "dozens of locations", the government said, as part of its ten-year NHS clinics will be open to walk-in patients as well as those referred by GPs and police, with specialist staff present to treat people in acute mental distress. Speaking to the Times newspaper, NHS England chief Sir Jim Mackey hailed the "pioneering new model of care", where people can "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."Andy Bell told BBC Breakfast he was sceptical of the scheme because it was untested. He said it was impossible to separate out physical and mental health problems so simply, calling for separate facilities to be put in place "carefully"."We need to robustly test the model at every stage before we even think about rolling it out nationally," Mr Bell for better funding of NHS mental health services, he noted the share of health spending on mental health treatment had gone down last year and was set to do so again. A recent study of emergency care in England found that the number of people waiting 12 hours or more in A&E after a decision to admit to a ward was the highest since modern records began. It topped 60,000 in January, or 11% of emergency government also announced the expansion of a scheme last month to help GPs provide care and advice to patients, without them joining long NHS hospital waiting lists in England.
