Across North London a team of trained mental health call handlers are taking emergency calls, 24 hours a day, every day of the year

People in mental health crisis in North London can now access emergency support any time of the day or night.

By dialling 111 and then pressing 2, people will be able to access the same emergency support for mental health problems as they do currently for physical health issues.

Across North London – covering Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington boroughs – a team of trained mental health call handlers are taking emergency calls, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Chief operating officer Jess Lievesley said: “This is a really important step forward to improve care for those who are suffering with urgent mental health issues. Having a well-known number to call rather than having to look up a local line on a website will transform how quickly people receive urgent care.”

The service ‘soft-launched’ locally across the North Central London NHS area in April, as part of a pilot phase, but the national launch means that many more people across north central London will now be aware of it.

Anyone calling 111 will be invited to press 2 if in a mental health crisis. A trained mental health professional will then assess what is needed and ensure callers get the right support.

With the caller’s permission, they can also access the individual’s electronic patient records to avoid people having to repeatedly explain their mental health situation.

Handlers are then able to put callers in touch with a range of services, including crisis cafes, round-the-clock mental health assessment services or to their local crisis resolution home treatment team for intensive support at home, as an alternative to hospital admission.

The 111 service is available to anyone in England who is facing a mental health crisis which could include prolonged mood changes, withdrawing from people, not taking care of yourself like you usually would, having increased throughs about your life not being worth living, excessive worry, feeling out of control or unable to cope, feeling anxious about leaving the house, hearing voices or seeing things that others can’t, and thinking about harming yourself

People can call 111 for themselves or someone else. The service is for all ages, including children and young people and those with neurodevelopmental needs. Anyone who is deaf or has hearing loss can be connected to local crisis service using the NHS 111 – SignVideo web link.

Access NHS 111 online:
Visit 111.nhs.uk

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