- No wrong door' approach to ensure people get help wherever
they go
- No referral needed to prevent long waits for mental health
support
- More than 300,000 contacts to NHS 111 press 2 mental health
helpline
People should be able to access mental health support whenever
they first seek help, without the need for a referral.
That's the vision of Mental Health Minister , as she set out the Welsh
Government's commitment to same-day access and a 'no wrong door'
approach to mental health support
Speaking during a Wales Alliance for Mental Health event at the
Norwegian Church to mark World Mental Health Day, she stressed
how people should be able to access help quickly and easily
wherever they seek it.
This transformation of mental health support is a commitment in
the recently published Programme for Government. The Programme
also commits to working across the Welsh Government to improve
mental health and wellbeing, and being led by data, research and
the voices of those with lived experience.
The open-access' approach is currently being trialled through a
number of demonstrator projects before being rolled out further
across Wales. This approach aims to respond to the individuals
main concerns on the day that they reach out for support. Where a
need for specialist support is identified, there will be seamless
access to the right level of support
The model builds on the NHS 111 Wales Press 2 service, a helpline
for urgent mental health support, which has seen more than
300,000 contacts since it was launched nearly four years ago.
Mental Health Minister said: The Open
Access approach is about making it easier for people to get help
when and wherever they need it.
We support the same-day support model, as it removes unnecessary
barriers, reduces waiting times, and provides a straightforward
route into services for those who may be struggling with their
mental health.
Most importantly, it helps ensure that people receive support at
the point they first seek help, rather than waiting for a
referral or until they reach crisis point.
Notes to editors
- More than 300,000 contacts have been made to the NHS Wales
111 press 2 service since it was first launched.
- The most common age group to contact the helpline is 18-34,
making up 18%, with Mondays the most common day, with more than
15% of contacts
- Further information about age, gender, location and days of
the week of contacts is available here: NHS 111 Wales Press 2:
Mental Health Support - NHS Wales Joint Commissioning
Committee
