NHS 111 will now offer mental health support to people of all ages in crisis, including children, the health service said yesterday.
Health leaders welcomed the announcement but said that NHS trusts “remain deeply concerned” about the high level of unmet need for those seeking mental healthcare.
From today, people in England who are in crisis or concerned about a loved one can call 111 and select the mental health option to speak to a trained professional.
Local health systems previously had separate phone lines, which took about 200,000 monthly calls.
Staff handling the 111 calls can organise face-to-face community support for patients or guide them to other services.
Care Minister Stephen Kinnock said the change forms part of “plans to help fix the broken health system” by giving mental health “the same attention and focus” as physical health.
Rethink Mental Illness chief executive Mark Winstanley welcomed the news.
He said: “A mental health crisis is traumatic and disorientating, and getting help as quickly as possible is vital.
“The last thing people need when they or a loved one is in crisis is uncertainty about where to turn.
But NHS Providers deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery raised concerns about pressures on services.
“With record numbers of people experiencing mental ill health, any measures which help people access the care they need quickly and easily are to be welcomed,” she said.
“However, trusts remain deeply concerned about levels of unmet need for those seeking mental health care, with the latest national data showing over 350,000 children and young people and almost 250,000 adults are waiting for treatment from community mental health services.
“They also know that demand and persistent pressure on NHS 111 services, many of which are run by already stretched ambulance services, is much higher than before the pandemic.
“It is vital that trusts and their local partners such as schools, local authorities and the voluntary sector are given the funding they need to deliver on ambitions around crisis care pathways for people of all ages, as well as helping individuals before they reach crisis point.”
Ms Cordery added that underlying problems in mental health services must be addressed to ease the pressures they face.
