New Mental Health Emergency Department in Bristol
Update sent on behalf of NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust and Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
Following last week’s national announcement on the expansion of mental health support across England, we can confirm plans for Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust – in partnership with Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board – to develop a new dedicated Mental Health Emergency Department on the Callington Road Hospital site in Bristol.
This forms part of the government’s wider plans for mental health services, which includes 59 specialist emergency departments as well as 100 new community mental health centres across the country.
The Mental Health Emergency Department has a planned completion date of September 2027 and will serve local people by providing:
Fast, same‑day specialist support for people experiencing a mental health crisis.
An alternative to Emergency Departments for mental health presentations not requiring urgent physical health care, reducing unnecessary hospital attendances, and improving patient experience.
A calm, therapeutic, safe and thoughtfully designed environment, including outdoor space, to support those in distress located with existing mental health services.
Rapid assessment and onward care, ensuring people are connected quickly to the right support - whether that’s inpatient treatment, home‑based care, or community services.
Closer working with ambulance, police and other partners, reducing pressure on busy emergency departments and improving patient experience.
A major step forward in ensuring people get the right care in the right place, as early as possible.
This development builds on the work already underway across Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust and with local partners to strengthen mental health crisis pathways, improve access, and support people earlier and closer to home. It represents a major step forward in how we support local people in crisis and will provide a calmer, safer and more therapeutic environment, ensuring patients receive the right care in the right place as quickly as possible. By redesigning the way urgent mental health support is delivered, we are improving people’s experience at their most vulnerable moments and strengthening the immediate help available to them.
We will continue to work closely with partners to ensure the new department is fully integrated into the wider urgent and emergency care system.
Further details on timelines, operational arrangements and engagement opportunities will be shared as the programme develops.
Contact Information
BNSSG ICB Communications & Engagement team