The programme includes investment in new Mental Health Emergency Departments (MHEDs) and Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres (NMHCs). The announcement includes funding for developments in City & Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and for both a new MHED and a new NMHC in Luton, demonstrating that the programme will benefit communities across the Trust.
Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres bring together community mental health, crisis and specialist services into a more accessible, integrated offer, building on approaches that have already demonstrated success.
Edwin Ndlovu MBE, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer at ELFT, said:
"Having spent my career as a mental health nurse before moving into leadership, I know how much difference it makes when someone can get support close to home, before they reach crisis point. This investment helps us do exactly that. Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres are about meeting people where they are, joining up care so it feels like one team around the person rather than a set of separate services. This matters most for communities who have often found it hardest to access the right help at the right time.
"Barnsley Street has shown us what's possible when care is built around local people and their needs. This funding gives us the chance to bring that same approach to more of the communities we serve."
David Bridle, Chief Medical Officer at ELFT, said:
"Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres have the potential to transform how people experience mental health care, making it easier to access support earlier and reducing the barriers that can exist between different services.
"Through our Barnsley Street Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre, we have been able to demonstrate the value of building care around the needs of local people and communities. This investment provides an opportunity to build on that experience and further improve outcomes for people who need mental health support."
Alongside this national investment programme, ELFT continues to develop a range of local initiatives designed to improve access to support and provide alternatives to hospital admission and attendance at emergency departments during periods of mental health crisis.
This includes the new Kelvin Grove Crisis House in Bedford, helping ensure people can access the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
Further planning and business case development will now take place before final proposals are confirmed. ELFT will continue to work closely with NHS England, local partners, service users and carers as plans develop and will share further updates as more information becomes available.