Two new NHS facilities designed to improve access to mental health support are planned for Oxfordshire as part of a £343 million national investment in preventative and emergency care.
The plans have been welcomed by Oxford-based charity Response, which says greater investment in early intervention is essential to reduce pressure on overstretched mental health services.
The Government has announced plans for up to 159 new NHS mental health facilities across England, comprising 100 Community Mental Health Centres and 59 dedicated Mental Health Emergency Departments. The first facilities are expected to open from autumn 2026, with further sites following from March 2027.
For Oxfordshire, the programme includes a Mental Health Emergency Department at the John Radcliffe Hospital, providing specialist support for people experiencing a mental health crisis who are medically fit and do not require treatment in A&E.
A separate Community Mental Health Centre is also planned for Oxfordshire, although its precise location has yet to be confirmed. The Government says final locations remain subject to design, procurement and business-case approvals.
The new community centres are intended to make it easier for people to access support before problems escalate, with walk-in services available without a referral. Mental Health Emergency Departments, meanwhile, will provide same-day specialist support in a setting designed specifically for people experiencing a crisis.
The South East is set to receive 11 new Mental Health Emergency Departments and 12 Community Mental Health Centres as part of the first phase of the wider programme, covering Oxfordshire alongside Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent and Medway, Sussex, Surrey, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.
Response welcomes shift towards prevention
Response, which has supported people experiencing mental health difficulties in Oxfordshire for 60 years, has welcomed the investment.
The charity currently works with more than 500 adults and young people through supported living, tailored support programmes and specialist services for children and young people.
Its chief executive, Nicola Leavesley, said the existing system too often means people have to reach crisis point before they receive the support they need.
“We are in the midst of a mental health crisis,” she said, highlighting the pressure currently being experienced by voluntary and statutory services.
Leavesley said one of Response’s newer care provisions has already developed a waiting list of more than a year, describing the situation as unsustainable.
She welcomed the Government’s investment, arguing that preventative support could help reduce the number of people reaching crisis while building on services already delivered by voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations.
Earlier intervention at the heart of plans
The Government says the new facilities are intended to shift mental health provision away from a predominantly crisis-led model towards earlier intervention in local communities.
The national programme is designed to bring mental health professionals and other support services together, with links to organisations working across areas including housing and employment.
The case for earlier intervention is reinforced by the wider pressures facing mental health services. The Government says around one in five people experience a common mental health condition each year, with demand particularly acute among children and young people.
Response also points to the wider social factors that can contribute to poor mental health, including debt, unemployment, isolation and insecure housing.
“Preventative care helps people aspire to live to their full potential through early intervention and breaking cycles which might lead to poor outcomes,” Leavesley said.
The charity believes combining clinical support with help addressing those wider circumstances is central to preventing mental health difficulties from developing into more serious problems.
The national rollout represents a significant expansion of dedicated mental health provision. There are currently six Community Mental Health Centres and 23 Mental Health Emergency Departments in England; the new programme will take the number of dedicated emergency departments to 82.
For Oxfordshire, the plans mean a new dedicated mental health emergency facility at the John Radcliffe alongside a new community-based centre, potentially giving local residents greater access to support before problems reach crisis point.
