Norfolk emergency mental health service to offer extra help on weekends
The response car will now be able to reach people experiencing a mental health crisis seven days a week
An emergency mental health response car is now operating across Norfolk seven days a week, with more help now being offered at the weekend.
The service, jointly operated by the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) and East of England Ambulance, was launched in November 2021 for three days a week.
That service was quickly stepped up to five days a week, then seven days a week.
Mental health professionals are now on call every day of the week between 2pm and 2am. An additional car will be on duty on Saturday, Sunday and Monday between 1pm and 1am thanks to new funding.
This year the service has supported almost 500 people in a mental health crisis.
Stuart Richardson, Chief Executive of NSFT, said: “We are pleased to be working collaboratively with our NHS partners in the region to transform mental health services."
"Providing innovative services directly helps patients with their specific needs and ensures people receive care on time.”
Melissa Dowdeswell, Director of Nursing at East of England Ambulance, said:
“This early intervention of mental health-trained specialists is better for patients and the overall NHS as it can help avoid transporting patients in mental health crisis to busy emergency departments which are often not the most suitable environment for their needs.”