Maria Caulfield, Member of Parliament for Lewes, is pleased to welcome £150 million of Government funding for mental health services.
Improvements Include:
- Improved mental health crisis de-escalation suite at Langley Green: £1,052,000
- Improved ward facilities for people in mental health crisis at Eastbourne General Hospital: £224,000
- The Haven - a purpose-built mental health assessment facility close to Eastbourne District General Hospital emergency department: £834,000
£150 million will be used 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 will receive funding including crisis cafés, step-down services, health-based ‘places of safety’, crisis lines and emergency assessment spaces. This funding will help ease pressures on NHS emergency care – especially during challenging Winters ahead.
The funding will 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.
It will also 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 cafes, 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.
Maria Caulfield MP said:
“This funding is very much needed and I am pleased to welcome the £150 million of Government funding for mental health services that we have worked hard to acquire. This funding will improve mental health crisis suit and ward facilities in Sussex.
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 £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."
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.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:
“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.”