NHS PLANS 200 MENTAL HEALTH CENTRES AND A&ES BY 2029

The NHS will establish nearly 200 community mental health centres and mental health A&Es across England by 2029, according to government plans announced this week. The network will comprise 100 new community mental health centres and 59 additional mental health A&Es, supplementing the 23 already operational. The centres will be positioned in high street locations including banks and libraries, alongside some new dedicated buildings, with many open seven days a week and some offering short-stay bed facilities.

The government stated that the centres will bring together existing teams of nurses, therapists and support workers to provide immediate care for people experiencing mental health crises or significant distress. Six areas have trialled the approach since 2024. According to the government, one in five people struggle with their mental health, and thousands currently attend general A&E departments at crisis point because they cannot access help elsewhere. The initiative aims to make NHS services more accessible closer to home and enable people to receive specialist care before problems worsen.

Andy Bell, chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, welcomed the announcement but raised concerns that the mental health emergency departments had not been properly tested. He also stated that children and young people using these services needed dedicated hubs of their own. The government believes the plans, which build on earlier pilot programmes, will help tackle pressure on standard A&E services and ensure people receive expert care when needed.