Phoneline for mental health is launched

A new phoneline has been launched in Portsmouth to provide people in the city with mental health support.

A new phoneline, which organisers say will ‘transform’ services in Portsmouth, has been launched to provide people in the city with mental health support.

Set up by Health and Care Portsmouthbasedonfeedback from events held with voluntary groups and people with experience of mental health problems, the ‘access hub’ is aimed at providing a point of contact and is planned for further expansion.

‘In the workshops, people told us that the number of routes to access support was confusing, daunting and unclear, and felt they were being sent from one service to another without getting the help or information they felt they needed,’ Jo York, the managing director for Portsmouth at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB),said.‘Wearedetermined to change that.’

The phoneline (0300 123 6621) is already available and can be used by anyone over 16 and carers. It is staffed between 8am and 6pm on weekdays by trained call handlers. GP referrals are not needed.

Callers will then be given appointments with organisationsincludingTalkingChange and Positive Minds or put in contact with local services through Hive Portsmouth and other bodies based in the city.

Ms York added: ‘We believe that the phoneline will help transform access to mental health support and advice acrossthecityandweareexcitedtobeworkingcollaboratively with those involved to make this ambition a long-term reality for the benefit of not just the person with mental health needs but their wider circle of family and friends too.’