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LONDON - A raft of new mental health centres are set to open in libraries, banks and other town-centre locations across England to get people "support earlier and closer to home", the UK government has announced.
Officials also announced that more people in a mental health crisis will be given specialist care in dedicated mental health emergency departments, rather than waiting in busy accident and emergency departments (A&E).
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that the new centres will be a "lifeline" for the thousands of people who are waiting "months" for help.
The Department of Health and Social Care said that there will be 100 new community mental health centres and 59 dedicated mental health emergency departments in the "biggest redesign of mental health services in a generation".
The centres will offer walk-in support where people can attend without being referred.
Some of the community hubs will be new facilities while others will be in libraries, banks and other high street locations, the department said.
Meanwhile, extra mental health emergency departments will offer same-day support for people experiencing a crisis who are medically fit and do not need treatment in A&E.
These specialist facilities will be located within emergency departments and will provide a "calm, therapeutic environment where people can be assessed quickly", officials said.
The rollout will bring the number of dedicated mental health emergency departments in England to 82.
Burnham said: "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."
The department said that the initiative is backed by £343 million (US$461 million) and the first sites will open later this year, with "further facilities following from March 2027."
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Too many people are only getting mental health support when they reach crisis point, after struggling for far too long to get the help they need.
"These new community mental health centres will help people get support earlier and closer to home, making it easier to get the right care before problems escalate. And when someone does need urgent help, new mental health emergency departments will be able to make sure they are seen quickly by specialist teams in the right setting.
"This is how we can turn the tide on mental ill health -- preventing more people from reaching crisis, cutting waits for care, and building an NHS which is there for everyone when they need it."
According to NHS figures, 2.36 million people in England had an open referral with mental health services at the end of May 2026, up from 2.10 million a year earlier and 1.95 million in May 2024. - BERNAMA
