24-hour phone line for mental health goes live

A 24-HOUR phone line for well-being and mental health support for people living in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire has gone live.

In June 2022, Hywel Dda University Health Board became the first health board in Wales to launch a dedicated mental health advice service, offering support for all age groups through the established 111 call line.

From this week, the phone line will have extended hours, making support accessible day and night.

People will be able to access the service by phoning 111 and selecting option 2 where they will be put through to a mental health practitioner.

At the official launch Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Lynne Neagle, said: “The 111 press 2 for urgent mental health is a significant service transformation to improve access to support and I am delighted that Hywel Dda University Health Board is one of our first health boards to launch the new 24/7 service.

“We have provided £6m to support health boards to implement this service with the aim of 24/7 coverage across Wales next year.”

Andrew Carruthers, director of operations for Hywel Dda University Health Board said: “When we began the Transforming Mental Health journey we had a clear ambition to move away from a traditional service model to redesigning services for the benefit of local people.

“The development of a single point of access has remained a priority for the health board and provides a foundation for future mental health services which are patient centred, responsive, and accessible.”

Liz Carroll, director, mental health and learning disabilities, Hywel Dda University Health Board commented: “We really welcome the opportunity to be the first health board in Wales to go live with the Mental Health 111 service. We are pleased to say that we have had a really enthusiastic response from our staff and our key stakeholders in the development of this.”