Walk-in mental health centres to open in banks and libraries across England
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- UK government has set out plans for nearly 200 community mental health centres and mental health A&Es across England by 2029, aiming to give people in crisis somewhere to go other than emergency departments.
- 100 new community mental health centres will be sited in high street locations such as banks and libraries, bringing together existing nurses, therapists and support workers; many are expected to open seven days a week with some offering short-stay beds.
- 59 dedicated mental health A&Es will be added to the 23 already operational, with many attached to existing emergency departments.
- Department of Health confirms £343m in funding, with the first sites due to open in autumn 2025 and further facilities rolling out from March 2027; six areas have trialled the approach since 2024.
- Andy Bell, chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, welcomed the announcement but warned the mental health emergency departments had not been properly tested yet and called for dedicated hubs for children and young people.
- Stephen Jones of the Royal College of Nursing backed the plan in principle but said specialist mental health nurses would be crucial if the new centres are to cope with demand.
- Health Secretary Yvette Cooper told BBC Breakfast there would be a "continual programme" of rollout, with the government "bringing together existing teams of staff to work together in a different way."
Why it matters: With one in five people struggling with mental health and thousands turning up at A&E in crisis because they cannot find help elsewhere, the £343m, 200-hub plan is a structural attempt to redirect demand away from emergency departments — but the Royal College of Nursing and Centre for Mental Health both flagged that without specialist staff the new centres risk becoming signposting points rather than treatment sites.
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