Posted on: 26 September 2025
Baroness Gillian Merron, Minister for Patient Safety, Women's Health and Mental Health recently visited our Mental Health Crisis Assessment Centre (MHCAS), to meet with staff and patients.
She embarked on a tour of the site, learning about the specialised workforce at MHCAS and the therapeutic approach that sits at the heart of their work, supporting those experiencing a mental health emergency.
In just under two years, MHCAS has delivered impressive results:
- £3.6m net savings
- Reduced mental health admissions and occupied beds
- Reducing the amount of time patients spend in A&E, walking straight into MHCAS
- Out-of-area placements eliminated and maintained since MHCAS opened.
Baroness Merron joined a team meeting to hear about patient pathways - with some people travelling from as far as Scotland to use MHCAS.
The team shared how the centre has ended the need for costly private beds, keeping patients closer to home and their families. Today, only one in ten people seen at MHCAS need hospital admission, meaning most get the right support quickly and are able to return home.
