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A dedicated mental health response vehicle has been launched in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough as part of a new partnership between Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST).
The jointly funded initiative – supported by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board – pairs mental health practitioners with paramedics to deliver urgent support to people experiencing a mental health crisis. Operating seven days a week from midday to midnight, the service aims to reduce unnecessary trips to emergency departments by treating people in their own homes.
Carolyne Coenen, Service Manager for CPFT’s First Response Service, said the vehicle will allow teams to “offer rapid support to those who need it,” adding that acute hospitals are often “an inappropriate place for someone in a mental health crisis.” The specialised crews will instead triage individuals at home and arrange suitable follow-up care.
EEAST’s Regional Head of Mental Health, Liz Ip Piang Siong, said the winter months typically bring an increase in mental-health-related 999 calls. “Having this team on the road will allow us to provide the specialist support people need and avoid unnecessary journeys to hospital,” she said.
The vehicle will operate initially for three months, with partners hoping to make the service permanent if the trial proves successful.
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