Two Hertfordshire locations earmarked for £343m mental health support centre scheme
Two areas in Hertfordshire may be chosen to benefit from the Government’s plans to open 159 NHS mental health centres.
It has been revealed that 17 of the centres will be opened in the East of England region.
East and North Hertfordshire have been identified as areas where new community-based mental health centres could be opened.
At the time of writing these projects will still need further approval before plans are finalised.
Two new health centres opening in Hertfordshire forms part of a wider scheme confirmed by new Prime MInister Andy Burnham.
The recently-appointed PM is hoping to open the new centres from autumn of this year and announced a £343m Government investment into the national project.
He said yesterday: “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.”
The NHS revealed that the East of England region is set to inherit 12 community mental health centres offering walk-in support without a referral, and five mental health emergency departments. Both new centres in Hertfordshire would offer the former service.
It was revealed that the launch of additional mental health services was agreed following the success of opening the mental health urgent care centre based at Lister Hospital in Stevenage. New findings released by the NHS state that the centre, which opened in January of last year, has received positive feedback from patients and eased pressure on Hertfordshire’s acute hospitals’ emergency departments.
Karen Taylor, chief executive at Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our Hertfordshire Mental Health Urgent Care Centre has transformed how people access support during a mental health crisis. More than 3,600 people used the service in the first 14 months, with 99% assessed within an hour.
“By providing rapid access to specialist mental health care in a calm environment, the centre is supporting people sooner while also reducing pressure on emergency departments. We have seen a 30% reduction in mental health attendances at the local emergency departments, giving Hertfordshire some of the lowest mental health attendances at A&E in the country."
The NHS revealed that after the initial openings in October of this year, further centres are slated to open in March 2027.
Professor Edward Morris, regional medical director for NHS England – East of England, said: “All too often people in the East of England needing urgent support with their mental health will end up turning to a busy A&E department for help, which isn’t always the best place for those people to be.
“That’s why these new centres – bringing support closer to home, making it easier to get help before problems get worse, and offering crisis support in the right place – will be a lifeline for so many.”