The NHS in England has launched a new initiative providing mental health crisis support through a single phone line, NHS 111.
This milestone signifies that NHS England has become one of the first globally to offer a comprehensive 24/7 mental health crisis package via one contact point.
Individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, including children, and their concerned relatives can dial 111, choose the mental health option, and connect with trained professionals.
NHS staff are equipped to guide callers to appropriate next steps, such as community support or alternative services such as crisis cafés and safe havens, which serve as alternatives to Accident and Emergency (A&E) visits or hospital admissions.
Before rolling out the phone line accessibility, local health systems operated via separate helplines.
These lines, accelerated during the pandemic, received approximately 200,000 calls monthly.
Now, every emergency department in England also provides a liaison psychiatric team to offer specialist care when there's a risk to life.
Additionally, the NHS Talking Therapy Services are available for other mental conditions, such as anxiety, PTSD, and depression, with self-referral options online or through GPs.
While the NHS advises calling 999 for serious life-threatening situations, a comprehensive list of mental health support is accessible on the NHS.uk website, including tailored services for the deaf.
Charities such as The Samaritans and Shout Crisis text line also offer free listening services.
With an investment of an extra £2.3bn ($3.04m), the NHS aims to direct patients in crisis to the support they need swiftly.
The health service has achieved its goal of expanding community mental health treatment for 370,000 individuals annually with severe mental illnesses.
NHS Mental Health national director Claire Murdoch said: “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.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has chosen SYNLAB as the preferred supplier for a unified pathology service.
This service, crucial for GPs and hospitals in the region, includes sample testing and phlebotomy clinics.
