St George's Hospital in Tooting, South London, has been earmarked as the site for a new mental health emergency department, with £1.9 million already secured to develop the plans. The facility aims to provide specialist care in a calmer setting for people in mental health crisis, while easing pressure on the hospital's busy A&E department.
New facility to ease pressure on A&E
The proposed department would offer more suitable care for patients experiencing mental health emergencies, reducing the number of people waiting in corridors. It would be built as close as possible to St George's A&E to ensure easy access for those in need.
Kate Slemeck, site CEO of St George's, explained the rationale behind the plans during a Wandsworth Council Health Committee meeting on Monday night (September 21). She said the new department would be "for people who come into the organisation and currently sometimes get quite stuck in our emergency department for long periods, waiting for capacity outside of the hospital".
Plans developed with NHS partners
St George's is working with NHS partners to develop the plans, using the initial £1.9 million investment. Ms Slemeck said the facility would give patients "a much better experience while they're in the hospital, with the mental health interventions that they need at that time, and supporting their exit out of the organisation to the right place at the right time".
The department would be run by South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust. Further details are expected to be revealed in the coming months as the plans are developed.
Part of £343m national funding package
The proposals are part of a £343 million funding package announced by the Government in August, which aims to open 159 new NHS mental health facilities across England. This includes 100 new community mental health centres offering walk-in support and 59 mental health emergency departments.
The next round of national funding approval is expected in October 2026, with the cash due to be invested by March 2028. As part of this wider investment, five new community mental health centres are planned across South West London.
