In a significant move to improve mental health services and alleviate pressure on emergency departments, NHS England has announced the rollout of specialist mental health crisis centres across the country over the next ten years. The initiative aims to redirect individuals experiencing mental health emergencies away from overstretched accident and emergency (A&E) units and into dedicated assessment hubs designed to provide timely, calm, and appropriate care.
This decision follows pilot programs conducted by ten NHS hospital trusts, which trialled new crisis assessment centres tailored to handle urgent mental health cases. The pilot schemes demonstrated the value of delivering support in a less stressful environment, helping patients access care without enduring long waits in conventional emergency departments.
According to NHS England, these new centres are expected to significantly ease hospital overcrowding and reduce the strain on emergency services, including the police and ambulance crews, who are often the first responders in mental health incidents. The centres will cater to walk-in patients as well as those referred by general practitioners and law enforcement agencies. Each unit will be staffed by mental health professionals trained to assist individuals in acute psychological distress.
Sir Jim Mackey, Chief Executive of NHS England, described the programme to The Times as a “pioneering new model of care.” He emphasized that such facilities would not only reduce the burden on A&E departments but also provide faster access to treatment, enabling patients to receive the help they need earlier and potentially avoid hospital admission altogether.
The government intends to expand the scheme to “dozens of locations” as part of its wider ten-year plan for the NHS. Mental health Minister Baroness Merron affirmed that the government is investing £26 million in the new crisis centres, alongside recruiting more staff, increasing access to talking therapies, and working to shorten waiting lists. “Too often, people experiencing mental health crises are not getting the support or care they deserve,” she said. “It is vital that we continue to expand and transform our mental health services.”
Despite the initiative’s ambitious scope, some mental health experts have raised concerns. Andy Bell, Chief Executive of the Centre for Mental Health, cautioned that the model remains largely untested and urged careful implementation. Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Bell warned against overly simplistic separations between physical and mental health treatment. “We need to robustly test the model at every stage before we even think about rolling it out nationally,” he said. He also stressed the importance of sustained investment, pointing out that the proportion of overall NHS spending allocated to mental health had declined in the past year and was projected to fall further.
Recent data illustrates the urgency of reform. In January, over 60,000 patients in England waited more than 12 hours in A&E after a decision to admit them—a record high and accounting for 11% of all emergency admissions.
The mental health crisis centres initiative forms part of broader government efforts to modernize NHS services and ensure timely access to care. In April, another programme was expanded to help GPs offer treatment and advice to patients without needing to refer them to long NHS waiting lists.
Proposed reforms to the Mental Health Act are also expected to ensure that those with the most severe psychiatric conditions receive more personalized and effective support.
As the NHS navigates an increasingly complex healthcare landscape, this initiative represents a promising but cautiously watched development in the effort to improve mental health care across the UK.
Related Topics
