A new mental health emergency department is set to open in Southampton after University Hospital Southampton was awarded a share of £156 million in government funding.
The new facility at Southampton General Hospital will aim to provide patients experiencing mental distress with faster access to specialist care in a calmer environment, reducing the need for people to wait in busy A&E departments.
The exact details of the Southampton department, including its opening date, are yet to be confirmed.
However, similar services introduced through government pilots since last year have offered walk-in access alongside referrals from GPs and police, with specialist teams available to support patients in crisis.
The trust said the new department is “very much needed” to help meet the healthcare needs of the local population.
The project will be developed in partnership with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which provides local mental health services.
Southampton Test MP Satvir Kaur said the investment was “great news for patients and staff alike”.
She added: “We all know and have experienced A&E waiting times that are far too long.
“This is on top of funding a new urgent treatment ‘walk-in’ centre at Southampton General Hospital and more investment into primary care – all aimed at taking pressure off the current A&E department, and ensuring people get the right support in the right setting.”
Southampton Itchen MP Darren Paffey said: “When I visited UHS last year, I heard directly about the growing pressures on mental health services in the city and the knock-on effect that this is having in our hospitals.”
He added: “I said at the time that I would raise these concerns and I’m really pleased that the government is going to help make it easier for people in Southampton to be seen quickly by specialist teams in the right setting, while also relieving pressure on busy A&E departments.”
The new mental health emergency department forms part of wider plans to improve urgent healthcare services and reduce pressure on emergency departments.