Labour MP Feryal Clark has welcomed the Government’s £343 million investment in a major expansion of community and emergency mental health services across England, including new provision serving Enfield.
The plans will see up to 159 new NHS mental health facilities open across England, including 100 community-based mental health centres and 59 dedicated mental health emergency departments.
The community centres are intended to make it easier for people to get help closer to home, including through walk-in support without the need for a referral. Some will operate from new facilities while others will be based in accessible community and high-street locations.
Dedicated mental health emergency departments will meanwhile provide specialist, same-day support for people experiencing a mental health crisis who do not require treatment in a conventional A&E department.
The Government has described the programme as the biggest redesign of mental health services in a generation, with the wider strategy focused on intervening earlier, moving more care into communities and reducing unnecessary pressure on hospital emergency departments.
Welcoming the announcement, Enfield North MP Feryal Clark said the investment would make a significant difference to people seeking support in her constituency.
Clark said:
“I welcome this Labour Government’s announcement of the biggest redesign of adult mental health services in a generation.
“This investment will bring mental health support closer to home, help people get the care they need earlier, and reduce pressure on busy A&E departments.
“Everyone deserves timely, compassionate mental health care, and this is another important step towards rebuilding our NHS and improving services for communities, including here in Enfield North.”
The reforms form part of the Government’s wider 10 Year Health Plan, which seeks to shift more NHS care from hospitals into neighbourhood and community settings.
The Government has previously committed £473 million over four years for new mental health models and capital projects, including community-based centres and mental health emergency departments. It is also expanding mental health support in schools and colleges and NHS Talking Therapies.
Under the latest rollout, the additional 59 dedicated mental health emergency departments would more than double the number operating across England, with the aim of giving people experiencing a crisis faster specialist care in a calmer and more appropriate environment than a busy A&E.
Clark said the programme represented another important step towards improving access to mental health support and rebuilding NHS services after years of pressure on patients and staff.
