- Four new NHS mental health centres will be opening in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight region as Labour brings crucial support directly into neighbourhoods.
- Four of 159 across England, these centres are designed to catch problems early, so fewer people reach crisis point in the first place.
People struggling with their mental health in Portsmouth will get help earlier and closer to home, with four new NHS mental health centres being opened by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation under plans announced by the Labour Government.
Four of 159 new facilities opening across England, backed by £343 million, Labour is rolling out the biggest redesign of adult mental health services in a generation.
This includes 100 new community mental health centres, offering walk-in support without a referral and without a months-long wait, and 59 dedicated mental health emergency departments giving people in crisis specialist care in a place designed for them.
Demand for mental health services has risen sharply, particularly among children and young people, with around one in five people experiencing a common mental health condition each year. Too often, people only receive support once they reach crisis point, leaving families without the help they need and placing greater pressure on NHS services.
Welcomed by Stephen Morgan MP, these new centres will make it easier for local adults to get the right help the first time they ask for it, by bringing mental health and specialist teams together under one roof – working alongside GPs, councils, the voluntary sector and families, with direct links into housing and employment support.
Commenting, Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, said:
“Too many Portsmouth people are only getting mental health support when they reach crisis point, after struggling for far too long to get the help they need.
“These new community mental health centres will help local people get support earlier and closer to home, making it easier to get the right care before problems escalate.
“This is how we can turn the tide on mental ill health – preventing more people from reaching crisis, cutting waits for care, and building an NHS which is there for everyone when they need it.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said:
“Nobody should be left to struggle with their mental health alone. But every day, thousands of people are waiting months for help, then finding the only door open to them is a busy A&E.
“These new centres will be a lifeline for so many. They will bring NHS services closer to home, making it easier to get support before problems get worse, and ensuring those in crisis get the right care in the right place.
“On the steps of Downing Street, I said we would build a country that acts sooner when people need help. Today is just the start of making that a reality.”
This announcement supports the Labour Government’s mission to shift care from crisis to prevention, helping people get support earlier and closer to home. It forms part of the forthcoming Mental Health Strategy, which will look beyond the NHS to the role of schools, employers, local government and the voluntary sector in supporting good mental health.
The Mental Health Strategy will be informed by the upcoming recommendations from Professor Peter Fonagy’s independent review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism.
By intervening earlier, Labour aims to help more children stay in education, more adults remain in or return to work, and reduce the number of people reaching crisis point, helping build a healthier and more resilient Britain.
