The Government has announced 59 new mental health emergency departments across the UK, including in the North East at St Nicholas' Hospital in Gosforth, Lanchester Road Hospital in County Durham, and an unspecified site in Sunderland. This forms part of a £343 million rollout that also includes 159 new community mental health centres.
North East locations revealed
In the North East, the new mental health A&E units will be located at Lanchester Road Hospital in County Durham, St Nicholas' Hospital in Gosforth, and a site in Sunderland yet to be confirmed. The region's new community mental health centres will be in two yet-to-be announced County Durham locations, Darlington, Newcastle, and Sunderland.
Government and health leaders respond
Health and Social Care 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."
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."
Prime Minister Andy 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."
Dr Nick Broughton, National Priority Programme Director for mental health, added: "Across the country, NHS teams are already working to provide mental health support closer to where people live, alongside specialist care for those who need more urgent help."
Local MP welcomes announcement
Blaydon and Consett MP Liz Twist, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Suicide and Self Harm Prevention, welcomed the move. She 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."
She added: "These announcements are a step in the right direction in ensuring that there is real support available for people that need it."
Full list for North East and Yorkshire
The community mental health centres will be in County Durham (2 sites), Darlington, Hartlepool, Hull, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, North Cumbria, North Yorkshire (4 sites), Redcar and Cleveland, Sheffield, and Sunderland.
The mental health emergency departments will be at Barnsley District General Hospital, Lanchester Road Hospital in County Durham, Longley Centre in Sheffield, Miranda House in Hull, North East Lincolnshire, Roseberry Park (formerly St Luke's Hospital) in Middlesbrough, St James's University Hospital in Leeds, St Nicholas Hospital in Gosforth, Sunderland, and Wakefield.
Some of the new community-based centres will be newly-built while others will be in high street locations. The new A&E units will be located with emergency departments and work closely with ambulance and police services, providing a calm, therapeutic environment for quick assessment and connection to ongoing care.
The first of the new facilities will open in the autumn, with more following in 2027.
