We share the Government’s ambition to make it easier for people to access the right mental health support closer to home.
The Government’s announcement provides an in-principle allocation of capital funding for new mental health emergency departments and community mental health centres in the Central East area. This is very welcome, and will allow us to progress the proposals and develop the services specifications in partnership with provider organisations.
At this stage, however, the final locations, opening dates and detailed models for these services have not yet been confirmed. These will be subject to further design work, procurement and the necessary business case approvals. This also means that we are not yet in a position to confirm the full range of support that will be available, or the detailed arrangements for how residents will access the service.
The intention behind the national programme is to make mental health support more accessible within local communities, including through a more straightforward route into support and, where appropriate, walk-in access without the need for a referral.
The proposal builds on the success of early adopter sites, including the mental health urgent care centre at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage, which opened in January 2025. The service has received positive feedback from patients and has also helped to reduce pressure on acute hospital emergency departments.