Mental health response partnership helps dozens avoid hospital over Christmas and New Year

A dedicated mental health response service between the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) and local mental health trusts helped dozens of patients avoid unnecessary hospital visits over the Christmas and New Year period.

The service uses Mental Health Response Vehicles (MHRVs), staffed by EEAST paramedics and mental health clinicians, which can be dispatched to appropriate 999 calls.

Between 23 December 2025 and 1 January 2026, the vehicles responded to 233 mental health emergencies across the East of England. Of these, 135 involved face-to-face contact, while 98 were handled via telephone advice to ambulance crews, police colleagues, and control room staff.

Most patients were able to receive support in the community, with 80% signposted to specialist services, 17% taken to hospital for physical health reasons, and just 3% requiring hospital admission for urgent mental health needs.

In Bedfordshire, one Mental Health Support Team vehicle attended 11 face-to-face incidents and provided 15 telephone consultations, while the Cambridge & Peterborough MHRV responded to 23 face-to-face cases and gave 13 telephone consultations.

Liz Ip Piang Siong, Head of Mental Health for EEAST, said:

"For people in a mental health crisis, going to hospital can often be more distressing. Our approach, providing care outside of hospital, is often preferable. The Mental Health Response Vehicles play a vital role in delivering EEAST’s mental health commitments under the NHS 10-year plan—offering early intervention, preventing further deterioration, and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions."

The MHRVs operate across all six counties served by EEAST, ensuring patients in crisis can access the right care from the right professionals when they need it most.