Am emergency vehicle dedicated to mental health services has been launched by the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS).
The car is crewed by a paramedic from the NHS ambulance trust and a specialist mental health nurse from Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT), which provides mental health services.
When a 999 call is received related to mental health it is passed to the specialist crew, which operate every day from midday to midnight.
Carolyne Coenen, from CPFT’s First Response Service, said: “A&E is not the appropriate place for somebody who is going through mental health crisis, I think it is important that people are treated in the comfort of their own environment.”
She described the vehicle as a “mini ambulance car” that is not marked, but still can use a blue light.
After three months the use of the vehicle will be reviewed to see if the number of cars needs to be increased.
The project is funded jointly by Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care Board and EEAS which also serves Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.
The EEAS has introduced similar initiatives in Suffolk, Norfolk & Essex and Hertfordshire in the last year.
Liz Ip Piang Siong, the ambulance service’s regional head of mental health, said she was “thrilled” to introduce a joint response vehicle.
She added: “Sadly during the winter months, we do typically see an increase in mental health-related 999 calls, so having this team on the road will allow us to provide the specialist support people need and avoid unnecessary journeys to hospital.”
‘Noisy and bright’
Ms Coenen explained that in winter months there can be an increase in mental health crisis due to seasonal pressures and darkness.
“That’s why it is important for us to respond rapidly to be able to support these people and signpost them to the right services as soon as possible,” she said.
“With all this flu and all the winter pressures A&E can be very noisy, bright, and there are lots of stimulants — it’s not an appropriate place to triage people who are facing high levels of stress and anxiety.
“Therefore it’s important for the car to be able to respond rapidly, right time, right place, to be able to meet their needs.”
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