Programme: NHS 111 offering mental health support for the first time, NHS England
What are the main points?
> Patients of all ages are now able to access mental health crisis support through NHS 111.
> NHS staff can direct callers to face-to-face community support or facilitate access to alternative services, such as crisis cafés or safe havens.
> Every emergency department in England now also has a liaison psychiatric team to offer specialist care, if there is a risk to life.
> During the pandemic, local health systems created their own separate phone lines, taking around 200,000 calls a month. This now goes ‘a step further’.
EXPERT THOUGHT
NHS National director for mental health Claire Murdoch said: ‘We know that record numbers of people are suffering with their mental health, and we want to ensure that when people are in crisis, they have easy, straightforward access to the support they need. [This gives] people everywhere in England one single point of access via NHS 111.’
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