Although they “remain deeply concerned” about the levels of unmet need for those seeking mental health treatment, NHS trusts have welcomed the initiative.
“Plans to help fix the broken health system” are what ministers claimed the reform is a part of.
In order to speak with a qualified professional, anyone in England experiencing a crisis or who is worried about a loved one can call 111 and choose the mental health option starting on Tuesday.
Prior to now, the local health systems had their own dedicated phone lines, handling over 200,000 calls each month.
Employees answering the 111 line will be able to set up in-person community support sessions for patients or direct them to other resources.
“We know that record numbers of people are suffering with their mental health, and we want to ensure that people have easy, straightforward access to the support they need when they are in crisis,” stated Claire Murdoch, director of mental health services at NHS England.
We want to go one step further and provide everyone in England with a single point of access through NHS 111, even though the NHS made great strides during the epidemic by enabling local services to establish their own crisis phone lines.
And in doing so, I’m really delighted to say that we will be among the first nations in the world to provide a universal package of free help to anyone via a single, easily accessible phone line.
