The UK’s first mental health crisis “café” for children and young people has launched in west London to help relieve pressure on the capital’s stretched A&E departments.
Circle, in Ealing, will offer support to young people who are experiencing or nearing a mental health crisis.
The service will provide drop-in and appointment-based specialist mental health support and has been specifically designed to create a welcoming, calm space.
The number of children aged under 18 presenting to A&E with a recorded diagnosis of a psychiatric condition has more than tripled between 2010 and 2019 – though many do not require hospital care.
In London, half of young people who attended A&E in 2021 with a mental health crisis were deemed not to require hospital treatment and discharged home. Many children cannot access the appropriate psychological treatment in A&E, but it is often the only place available to seek help during a mental health crisis.
It comes as London A&Es already face significant pressure, with bed occupancy close to full in many trusts and patients facing long waits for treatment.
Staff at Circle will provide dynamic clinical assessments and signpost to other local services.
Nana Owusu, Director of Children & Young People’s Services at HFEH Mind said, “A&E departments are already overstretched and often not the best place for a young person in crisis who’s already feeling distressed and overwhelmed. Circle provides a much needed safe space and immediate support for young people who reach a crisis point with their mental health.
“We’ve seen a big increase in children and young people going to A&E with mental health problems in the last 10 years - but for many of them, A&E isn’t the right place. They don’t require hospital treatment; they need support from trained mental health practitioners to de-escalate in that moment of crisis or distress, and this is where Circle comes in.”
Dr Johan Redlinghuys, Clinical Director for North West London CAMHS Provider Collaborative said: “Opening the Circle is a significant landmark in our strive to make sure young people in mental health crisis are treated by the right people, in the right place, as quickly as possible.
“Demand for NHS mental health services continues to increase and so by putting in place a specialist hub to support young people across North West London, we hope this will reduce pressure on A&E units and set a benchmark for other similar services across the NHS”.
The café has been launched as an 18 month ‘test and learn’ pilot with Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow Mind (HFEH Mind) in partnership with the North West London CAMHS Provider Collaborative, led by West London NHS Trust.
It will receive continuous monitoring and evaluation with a view to rolling out similar services in other locations across North West London.
