Plans being developed for a new Mental Health Emergency Department at St George’s
People experiencing a mental health crisis in South West London are set to receive faster, more appropriate care thanks to a £1.9m investment into a new mental health emergency department.
The new mental health emergency department will give people experiencing a mental health crisis a calmer, more suitable place to get help, while taking some pressure off our busy emergency department.
There’s still some work to do before the new department opens. Over the coming months, our teams will work with our partners to agree how the service will work and what it needs to provide the best possible care.
An initial £1.9 million has been secured to get the plans moving, that will be developed with local NHS partners including South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust, with their specialist mental health teams providing the staff.
It will be located as close as possible to St George’s existing Emergency Department, so people can get to the right place quickly and easily. It should also help to reduce pressure on our emergency services, including the number of people waiting in corridors.
Mat Shaw, St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group (gesh) Chief Executive, said:
“Record numbers of patients are being treated in our emergency departments and – on some occasions – half of those in our care don’t have physical injuries but are in mental health crisis.
“We know that a stressful A&E department is not the right place for people in crisis so this vital investment will enable us to treat people in a more suitable environment with dedicated, specialist mental health support.”
The next stage of national funding approval is expected in October 2026, with the funding due to be invested by March 2028.
Patients, carers and people with lived experience will also have a say in shaping the new service as the plans develop.
The wider investment includes plans for five new community mental health centres across South West London. We’ll share more about the St George’s plans as they take shape.
