The centres aim to offer quick help before people reach crisis point (Image: Getty)
People struggling with their mental health will be able to seek quick help at 100 new NHS neighbourhood centres, the Government has announced. The sites offer walk-in support without a referral from a wide range of specialist teams. They are designed to prevent people reaching a crisis point. A further 59 dedicated mental health emergency departments will also be opened to prevent those who need urgent care spending hours in A&E, bringing the total in England to 82.
Located within emergency departments, they will provide a calm environment where patients can be assessed quickly. Ministers described the £353million rollout as the biggest redesign of mental health services in a generation. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “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 A&E.
“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.”
Demand for mental health services has risen sharply, with an estimated 9.4 million people in England — one in five — affected by a common mental health condition.
A recent NHS survey of 2,000 adults found almost three in five people suffering from conditions such as PTSD, anxiety and OCD delayed seeking support.
The rollout follows the success of six pilot centres across the country. The Express reported from one in east London last year.
Mental health specialists at the centres will work alongside GPs, councils, voluntary sector organisations and families, with direct links to housing and employment support.
The first sites will open this autumn, with more following from March 2027. Some will be newly built facilities, while others will be in libraries, banks and high street locations.
Brian Dow, deputy chief executive at Rethink Mental Illness, welcomed the plan. He said: “Everyone should be able to access mental health support in their local community, when and where they need it.
“The expansion of neighbourhood mental health centres is a vital step towards making this a reality, building on the promising results of existing pilot sites.
“By bringing together treatment and wider support services under one roof, these centres can transform experiences of care, helping people to access support earlier and preventing them from reaching crisis point.”
Mental health emergency departments could help patients avoid long A&E waits (Image: Getty)
Dr Nick Broughton, the NHS’s national priority programme director for mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental conditions, said: “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 both early support in the community and care for people in crisis, while helping services work together more effectively around people’s needs.”
Debbie Laycock, head of policy, public affairs and campaigns at Samaritans said: “We hope today’s news is a sign that suicide prevention is a priority for the new Prime Minister and Health Secretary.
“For too long, people in crisis have been given poor options for support and often charities like ours pick up the slack. So this is a great step up from the Department of Health and Social Care that will help people before they reach crisis point and ensure they get better support if they are in distress.
“Samaritans
