We are pleased to share that Baroness Merron, the Minister for Mental Health, has responded positively to our open letter.

In the letter, we called for greater consideration of non-clinical alternatives to the Mental Health Accident and Emergency (A&E) Units proposed in the 10-Year Health Plan for England.

In her response, the Minister hailed our crisis alternatives, based on hospital premises, as a 'pioneering model'.

"Our focus has always been ensuring people in crisis can access the support that is right for them. The Minister recognising our model as 'pioneering' is both encouraging and a testament to the impact non-clinical support can have. We very much look forward to building on this momentum to make sure everyone can access the right support in the right place, at the right time." Jane Hughes, Chief Executive, Mental Health Matters

We will soon be meeting with officials from the Department of Health and Social Care to discuss our model in more detail and demonstrate its value in helping everyone access the quality, non-clinical support they need.

A huge thank you to everyone who shared our open letter. If you would like to contribute to our ongoing work around this, please get in touch at [email protected].