England to Significantly Expand Community Mental Health Support
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
A £343 million plan to open 159 NHS mental health centres across England, so people struggling with mental health issues can get help earlier and closer to home, was announced by the UK Government on 6 August. The first sites will be rolled out in Autumn, in what the government is calling the biggest redesign of mental health services in England in a generation.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham says nobody should be left to struggle with their mental health alone, but every day, thousands of people are waiting months for help, then finding the only door open to them is a busy Accident and Emergency department in a hospital. “These new centres will be a lifeline for so many. They will bring NHS services closer to home, making it easier to get support before problems get worse, and ensuring those in crisis get the right care in the right place,” he says.
Providing Walk-in Support and Specialist Crisis Care
There will be 100 community-based mental health centres offering walk-in support without a referral and without a months-long wait. There will also be 59 mental health emergency departments giving people in crisis specialist care in a place designed for them. They will provide fast, same-day specialist support for people experiencing a crisis who are medically fit and do not need treatment in an Accident and Emergency department of a hospital.
Transforming High Streets and Community Spaces
Of the sites, 57 will be new-builds, while 102 will be conversions of existing sites such as in libraries, banks and other community locations, situated in the heart of the neighbourhoods they serve. Working with ambulance and police services, these sites designed as welcoming settings with a non-clinical appearance, will quickly assess people and connect them to ongoing care such as inpatient treatment, support at home or community services.
Dr Nick Broughton, National Priority Programme Director for Mental Health, says across the country, NHS teams are already working to provide mental health support closer to where people live, alongside specialist care for those who need more urgent help. “The rollout of more community mental health centres and dedicated mental health emergency departments will build on this work, strengthening early support in the community and care for people in crisis, while helping services work together more effectively around people’s needs,” he says.
Specialist Teams to Unite to Stop Crises Early
Demand for mental health services has risen sharply, particularly among children and young people, with around 1 in 5 people experiencing a common mental health condition each year, according to the UK Department of Health and Social Care. They say often people in England only receive support once they reach crisis point, leaving families without the help they need and placing greater pressure on NHS services.
The aim of the new centres is to make it easier for people to get the right help the first time they ask for it. They will bring mental health and specialist teams together under one roof, working alongside GPs, councils, the voluntary sector and families, and help provide direct links into housing and employment support.
Tom Pollard Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns at Mind, UK Mental Health Charity, says this is a promising step towards more people getting the mental health support they need, when they need it. “Too often, we hear from people struggling to access overstretched services whose mental health worsens because of this. These plans signal a much-needed shift towards a neighbourhood approach, with preventative, open-access mental health support rooted in communities and integrated with other local services,” he says.
This rollout will more than double the number of dedicated emergency departments in England, taking the total to 82. There are currently 6 community-based mental health centres and 23 mental health emergency departments. Further facilities will follow from March 2027.
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