More than 150 new NHS mental health centres will open across England from the autumn, aiming to relieve pressure on overstretched A&E departments.
Expansion of community-based centres
Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the shake-up, stating that current services were leaving families under "unbearable strain and piling more pressure on our NHS."
In an article for The Mirror, he added: "This needs to change. Today, we're announcing a major expansion of NHS mental health services so people can get help earlier and closer to home."
The government will expand an existing pilot scheme of six round-the-clock community-based mental health centres (CMHCs) to 106. The first opened in Tower Hamlets, east London, in 2025, providing vital support to patients, including those with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. People can walk in seven days a week without an appointment, and the centres also offer employment and housing advice and have access to a small number of overnight beds.
Some of the community hubs will be new facilities, while others will be in libraries, banks, and other high street locations.
New emergency departments and same-day support
Additionally, 59 new mental health emergency departments (MHEDs) will provide same-day support for those experiencing a moment of crisis. This brings the total number of units, located within A&E units and working with police and ambulance services, to 82.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) bills this as the biggest redesign of mental health services in a generation. The aim is that both types of units will relieve pressure on busy A&Es while preventing people from reaching a mental health crisis point in the first place.
Mr Burnham said in a statement: "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. These new centres will be a lifeline for so many."
Rising demand and waiting times
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.
Last year, The Mirror reported warnings from nurses that some patients were suffering the "torture" of waiting up to three days in emergency departments in "utterly degrading" conditions for a mental health bed. The Royal College of Nursing said at the time that nearly 5,300 mental health patients waited at least 12 hours after a decision had been made to admit them at A&E departments in England last year, up from around 1,000 in 2019.
Previous RCN research also showed that half a million children with mental ill health attended A&E between 2019 and 2025, with some waiting over 12 hours or even three days.
Writing for The Mirror, Mr Burnham recognised the "profound mental health crisis impacting younger generations." He said poor mental health was robbing young people, including the one million not in education, employment, or training (Neets), of opportunities. He added: "There are those who are quick to criticise young people today, but that's never been my way. Our country's future depends on them – and they will have this government's support."
Funding and future plans
DHSC said the move is the first phase of a wider roll-out set in the 10-year health plan in 2025 and backed by over £343 million in funding. It also forms part of an upcoming mental health strategy to reduce the number of people in England reaching crisis point. The strategy will be informed by the independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD, and autism, expected in the autumn.
RCN Head of Nursing Practice Stephen Jones told The Mirror: "Today's announcement must begin to turn the page on a sorry chapter which has seen so many people go without the specialist support they need in the community, only to end up in crisis in loud, bright emergency departments waiting days for essential care. More services closer to people's homes and new dedicated emergency departments are a crucial step towards more humane care. To succeed, both will need specialist mental health nurses at the centre.
"Improving accessibility to mental health services is crucial to improving people's quality of life and helping them access things like work and education. With the right investment, including in growing the workforce to deliver an expansion of services, we can also save the NHS money in the long run by bringing down waiting lists and preventing unnecessary hospitalisations."
New Health Secretary Yvette Cooper also 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."
She added: "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."
DHSC said the first facilities are set to open from autumn 2026, while further sites will open from March 2027.
Lynn Perry, Chief Executive at Barnardo's, said: "The mental health of far too many children and young people is at crisis point. We urgently need to shift focus from response to prevention – helping children and young people get the support they need before reaching crisis point. That's why we welcome the rollout of new mental health centres that are embedded into the neighbourhoods that need them, and hope that the needs of children and young people are placed right at the heart.
"This is an important step towards giving every child and young person the opportunity to grow up healthier, happier and able to thrive, with support that improves outcomes for life."
