• People needing mental health support across the East Midlands will benefit from new NHS facilities as part of a nationwide rollout of up to 159 sites.
• New community mental health centres on high streets and in neighbourhoods will help people in the region get support earlier, closer to home and before they reach crisis point.
• People in crisis will no longer have to rely on busy A&Es, with the rollout of dedicated mental health emergency departments across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.

Individuals experiencing mental health problems can expect to receive more joined-up care closer to home, as the government today announces new mental health facilities for the region as part of a nationwide rollout of up to 159 sites across England.

Local NHS teams across the East Midlands are working towards delivering 10 new Mental Health Neighbourhood Centres and 4 Mental Health Emergency Department schemes in the first two years, subject to necessary approvals, as part of the biggest redesign of NHS neighbourhood mental health services in a generation.

Mental Health Emergency Departments are planned to be established in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Leicester. Funding has also been earmarked for community based Mental Health Centres in Lincolnshire, Coalville, Northamptonshire and Leicester. Voluntary sector partners are likely to host a number of these sites nationally.

The new community mental health centres will bring together mental health and specialist teams under one roof, making it easier for people across the East Midlands to get the right support before problems escalate. Working alongside GPs, local authorities, the voluntary sector and families, with links to housing and employment support, they will deliver joined-up care tailored to local communities.

Some of the community hubs will be dedicated newly built facilities, while others will be in libraries, banks and other community or high street locations, moving care closer to where people live and improving access. They will all be at the heart of the neighbourhoods they serve and designed as welcoming settings with a non-clinical appearance.

Alongside this, new mental health emergency departments across the region will provide fast, same-day specialist support for people experiencing a crisis who are medically fit and do not need treatment in A&E.

Located within emergency departments and working closely with ambulance and police services, they will provide a calm, therapeutic environment where people can be assessed quickly and connected to the right ongoing care, whether that’s inpatient treatment, support at home or community services.

Dr Jess Sokolov, Regional Medical Director for NHS England in the Midlands, said: “These new centres are a welcome addition to our region and will see people across the Midlands able to access faster mental health support closer to home or , where they need urgent help, will make sure they are seen quickly by specialist teams in the right setting.”

This is the first phase of a wider rollout set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, backed by more than £327 million in mental health facilities over the next four years, nationally.

Demand for mental health services has risen sharply, particularly among children and young people, with around one in five people experiencing a common mental health condition each year. Too often, people only receive support once they reach crisis point, leaving families without the help they need and placing greater pressure on NHS services.

Today’s announcement supports the government’s mission to shift care from crisis to prevention, helping people across the East Midlands get support earlier and closer to home. It aligns with the forthcoming Mental Health Strategy, which will look beyond the NHS to the role of schools, employers, local government and the voluntary sector in supporting good mental health.

By intervening earlier, the government aims to help more children in the East Midlands stay in education, more adults remain in or return to work, and reduce the number of people reaching crisis point, helping build a healthier and more resilient region.

Notes to editors

• There are currently six community-based mental health centres (CMHCs) and 23 mental health emergency departments (MHEDs).
• The government is today announcing 100 CMHCs and 59 MHEDs nationally, including 10 NMHCs and 4 MHEDs across the East Midlands as part of a multi wave plan.
• The first facilities are expected to open from autumn 2026, with further sites opening from March 2027.
• 57 will be newbuilds, whilst 102 will be conversions of existing sites.
• £156 million has been allocated to trusts for the initial 59 new MHEDs, with £187 million allocated for the initial 100 new CMHCs.