• Langley Green Hospital to see improvements worth over £1 million
• Announcement part of Government investment of £150 million to build 150 new facilities to support mental health urgent and emergency care services and up to 100 new specialist mental health ambulances
• New projects around England receiving funding include crisis cafés, step-down services, health-based ‘places of safety’, crisis lines and emergency assessment spaces
• Funding will help ease pressures on NHS emergency care – especially during challenging winters ahead

Henry Smith MP has welcomed confirmation from the Department of Health & Social Care that Langley Green Hospital in Crawley will see improvements to mental health crisis services worth more than £1 million.

As part of a package of measures to enhance mental health facilities across Sussex, Langley Green Hospital will receive an improved mental health crisis de-escalation suite, with investment from Government totalling £1.052 million.

Henry said;

“It’s right that people experiencing mental health crisis get the care and support they need and I welcome investment from Government of more than £1 million into facilities at Langley Green Hospital.

“I’ve been clear about the importance of treating mental health on a par with physical health and this is a welcome boost for services in Crawley.

“The Government is committed to investing at least £2.3 billion of additional funding each year by 2023-24 to expand and transform mental health services, meaning that millions more people are able to get the support that they need.”

“I’m grateful for staff at Langley Green Hospital who help people requiring mental health support every day.

“I’ve been liaising with the Health & Social Care Secretary about the details on Government support for this project.”

Other projects announced in Sussex include improved ward facilities for people in mental health crisis at Eastbourne General Hospital, as well as The Haven: a purpose-built mental health assessment facility close to Eastbourne District General Hospital emergency department.

Overall investment in these three projects in Sussex, including at Langley Green Hospital, totals £2.11 million.

The Department of Health & Social Care confirmed that the nationwide £150 million investment up to 2024-25 will better support people experiencing – or at risk of experiencing – mental health crises to receive care and support in more appropriate settings outside of A&E, helping to ease pressures facing the NHS.

It will fund 150 new projects centred on supporting the provision of mental health crisis response and urgent mental health care. The new projects include over 30 schemes providing crisis cafés, crisis houses and other similar safe spaces, as well as over 20 new or improved health-based places of safety which provide a safe space for people detained by the police. Improvements to NHS 111 and crisis phone lines will also be rolled out.

Anyone experiencing a mental health emergency will benefit from more tailored emergency care and support in the community through specialised mental health ambulances, more crisis services, and improved health-based places of safety.

The funding will also allow for the procurement of up to 100 new mental health ambulances, which will take specialist staff directly to patients to deliver support on scene or transfer them to the most appropriate place for care.

The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said;

“People in mental health crisis deserve compassionate care in a safe and appropriate setting. Too often, they end up in A&E when they should be receiving specialist treatment elsewhere.

“This important funding will make sure they get the help they need, while easing pressures on emergency departments and freeing up staff time – which is a huge priority for the Government this winter.”

The Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, Steve Barclay, commented;

“With the health systems facing huge challenges this winter from the rise in flu, ongoing Covid cases and the impact of the pandemic, we need to ensure people are still receiving the right specialist care.

“These dedicated facilities will ensure patients experiencing a mental health crisis receive the care they need in an appropriate way, whilst freeing up staff availability including within A&E departments.

“These schemes – along with the up to 100 new mental health ambulances – will give patients across the country greater access to high-quality, tailored support when needed the most.”

The new ambulances have been designed to provide a calmer environment, avoiding the bright yellow interior of traditional NHS ambulances and using simple NHS service logos, dimmable lighting and space for family and friends to accompany the patient during assessment. These are backed by £7 million in Government funding.

The remaining £143 million of capital funding, announced in the 2021 Spending Review, will go towards the 150 new projects. It will be invested in providing and improving a range of spaces to support people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, mental health crises. This includes new mental health urgent assessment and care centres and the redesign and refurbishment of existing mental health suites and facilities including in emergency departments, creating spaces outside of A&E, and the expansion of crisis lines.

With planned projects located across the country, the 150 schemes support the wider Government commitment to level up mental health and wellbeing across the country.

Programmes will also focus on preventative measures, including improvement of sanctuary spaces, to improve mental wellbeing, and community mental health facilities that will work to help people before reaching crisis point.

This builds on existing Government plans to improve mental health services. The Government is investing at least £2.3 billion of additional funding a year by 2023-24 to expand and transform mental health services in England so that two million more people will be able to get the mental health support they need.

Every area now has in place 24/7 NHS open access urgent mental health helplines; the helplines are currently taking around 200,000 calls per month, with only 1 to 2 per cent reported as being directed to 999/A&E. In the community, NHS Mental Health Support Teams are being rolled out in schools and colleges, offering early mental health help to children and young people, Government is on target to reach 35 per cent of pupils by the end of this year.

This comes as the Government has committed to increase mental health spend to 8.9 per cent of all NHS funding.