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The NHS is set to boost mental health support for people in crisis to ease demand and pressure on emergency services, as part of extensive winter plans already underway.
Dozens of mental health professionals will work within ambulance control centres and accompany paramedics on emergency call outs to treat people of all ages who are having a mental health crisis at the scene.
NHS England is investing £10 million in further support for mental health trusts this winter, with guidance published later this week asking them to deploy their staff to work in 999 call centres over the coming months.
Figures from two ambulance trusts show having a mental professional answering or responding to 999 calls could reduce the chances of a patient needing to go to A&E from approximately half down to one fifth.
Demand for crisis mental health services has increased by one third since before the pandemic and doubled since 2017.
More than 90,000 people a month have been referred to community crisis services.
While around 200,000 people a month have also called 24/7 crisis lines.
Less than 2% of people who call 24/7 mental health crisis lines then attends A&E for further support.
Mental health staff will work shifts with local ambulance trusts either providing on the scene response or triaging patients in call centres.
The head of NHS mental health services called for those in crisis to call their local NHS crisis lines through NHS 111 online or nhs.uk/urgentmentalhealth.
Last week, the NHS announced more than 40 healthcare ‘traffic control centres’ are now live. Each of the 42 integrated care systems in England now have a dedicated 24/7 operation with teams, including senior clinicians, that can respond to emerging challenges and divert ambulances to another nearby hospital with more capacity, or identify hospitals that need extra support.
The move is part of the NHS implementing the winter plan published in October, which also included the rollout of falls response services, new hubs dedicated to serious respiratory infections and additional bed capacity.