The 111 Helpline, which helps people find the right advice and treatment, now provides mental health support for people of all ages, including children.
Previously, a separate helpline was in place to assist people. Now callers can use the 111 helpline to organise face-to-face community support and access other services such as crisis cafes or safe havens, which provide a place for people to stay as an alternative to A&E.
NHS National Director for Mental Health, Claire Murdoch, said: “We know that record numbers of people are suffering with their mental health, and we want to ensure that when people are in crisis, they have easy, straightforward access to the support they need.
“While the NHS made significant progress during the pandemic with local services creating their own crisis phone lines, we want to go a step further by giving people everywhere in England one single point of access via NHS 111.
The NHS continues to advise people to call 999 if there is a serious risk to life.
Read more here.
