The government has committed to invest £150 million in NHS mental health urgent and emergency care services up to April 2025 and I am pleased to announce that NHS mental health services in Shropshire is to receive an additional £579,000 for the Redwoods Centre in Shrewsbury.
£143 million will be used to provide new and improved mental health crisis response infrastructure. This includes schemes such as crisis cafés, houses and hubs in the community. Other schemes receiving funding include step-down services, mental health urgent assessment and care centres, crisis line upgrades and improvements to health-based ‘places of safety’ and emergency department spaces.
It also includes £7 million for 100 specialised mental health ambulances to take staff directly to patients in need of emergency care.
Together these projects provide a range of safe and supportive spaces for people experiencing mental health crisis that can act as an alternative to A&E, providing intensive support to people in the community. As announced today by Minister Maria Caulfield, the government’s mental health spend will increase in the coming financial year, we expect this to account for 8.9% of total recurrent spend.