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NHS 111 service to start offering crisis mental health support for the first time

This could be such a lifeline for so many.

Emily Sergeant - 29th August 2024

The NHS’s 111 service is to begin offering crisis mental health support for the first time ever, it has been announced.

In what is a truly groundbreaking move, making England one of the first countries in the world to offer such a service, the NHS has announced that 111 will begin offering a full package of mental health crisis support through one single phone line, 24 hours of the day, seven days a week.

Millions of patients nationwide are set to benefit from the change.

Previously, local health systems had their own separate phone lines for mental health crisis support – which were fast-tracked during the COVID pandemic – that took around 200,000 calls per month, but now, people of all ages who are in crisis or concerned family and loved ones, even including children, can call 111 and select the ‘mental health’ option to speak to a trained mental health professional.

Once the call is made, NHS staff can guide callers with a series of next steps – including organising face-to-face community support, or facilitating access to alternatives services like crisis cafés, ‘safe havens’, and more.

For people who need support at A&E – which is generally if there is a risk to life – every emergency department in England will now also have a liaison psychiatric team available to offer specialist care.

The move to extend the support 111 offers comes after the NHS has invested an extra £2.3 billion into expanding its mental health services.

This latest innovation will help patients in crisis get directed to the support they need quickly.

“We know that record numbers of people are suffering with their mental health,” commented the NHS’s National Director for Mental Health, Claire Murdoch, “and we want to ensure that when people are in crisis, they have easy, straightforward access to the support they need.

“While the NHS made significant progress during the pandemic with local services creating their own crisis phone lines, we want to go a step further by giving people everywhere in England one single point of access via NHS 111, and in doing so, I am extremely proud that we will become one of the first countries in the world to offer a free universal package of support to people through one easy to access phone line.

For the first time, anyone in a mental health crisis can now call 111 and receive support from trained mental health professionals.

The 24/7 service is available for all ages, including children, providing vital help through a single phone line. https://t.co/Dxc9ahAao1 pic.twitter.com/rIQDytGPZL

— NHS England (@NHSEngland) August 27, 2024

“The new integrated service can give people of all ages specialist mental health support and ensure they can be offered face-to-face support in a safe and therapeutic environment, so, if you or someone you know needs urgent mental health support, please call 111, and select the mental health option.”

NHS Talking Therapy Services are also available for people who need help with other mental conditions, such as anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and PTSD, and anyone can refer themselves online via NHS.uk or by contacting their GP.

A full list of mental health support options is available via the NHS.uk website, and free listening services are also provided by charities such as The Samaritans or Shout Crisis text line.

The NHS continues to advise people to call 999 if there is a serious risk to life.

Featured Image – NHS Digital