Crisis helpline: NHS 111 Press 2

Background and aims

As part of the urgent and emergency care vanguard programme in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, a pilot scheme commenced in September 2019 to extend the NHS 111 service to those experiencing a mental health crisis.

Solution

The pilot enabled people who are experiencing a mental health crisis to dial the NHS urgent medical advice number and chose option 2 which will put them through to a member of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust’s first response service.

Specially trained mental health staff will speak to callers and discuss their mental health care needs instead of them having to go to accident and emergency departments of local acute hospitals.

Outcomes and benefits

• 97 per cent of calls to the 111 option 2 number did not need to go to A&E
• 26 per cent fewer people overall needed to be taken to A&E by ambulance
• 25 per cent fewer people needed A&E for mental health problems
• 19 per cent reduction in overall A&E mental health admissions was seen.

"Ensuring that people are accessing the right service at the right time is key to reducing costs, duplication and confusion. Above all that, it means that patients will have a better experience of care and better outcomes first time."

Emma Tiffin, Cambridge and Peterborough Sustainability and Transformation Partnership Mental Health Clinical Lead

Additional information

You can find our more about the extended NHS 111 Service by accessing the mind charity article or the NHS England case study.