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Mental health care

More than two million Londoners experience poor mental health every year and our team of specially trained mental health clinicians provide expert and compassionate care to over 100,000 patients annually.

A photo of four mental health specialist clinicians standing by a fast-response car.

A&E is not always the right place for someone experiencing a mental health crisis and it can even be stressful or traumatising. We want to reduce the number of mental health patients we take to A&E. Their needs can often be met just as effectively, or even more so, in their own homes, in the community or in alternative care or services. 

Our Service has a team of more than 40 clinicians experienced nurses, social workers and occupational therapists. These specialistwork across London in mental health joint response cars and in the Service’s emergency control room, providing remote clinical assessment to patients with mental health issues and referral into services closer to home. 

Watch this video

To learn about how our mental health joint response cars operate.

Our Mental Health Joint Response car 

The mental health joint response car has been an integral part of improving care for patients with mental health issues in recent yearsThese cars pair a paramedic with a mental health nurse so we can treat both their physical and mental health needs, providing a better and more rounded care approach. We were the first ambulance service in the UK to introduce an initiative of this kind. 

The unit was initially launched as a single car in south east London in November 2018 and has now expanded to response cars across London. More than 40,000 patients have been treated by the team since the unit expanded in February 2020 during the Covid pandemic. 

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Where to get help

Call 999

If you or someone else is in danger, call 999 or go to A&E now. 

Use 111

If you need urgent help for your mental health, get help from NHS 111 online or call 111.

Speak to a Samaritan

If you want someone to talk to, call 116 123. This service is available 24/7.

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