Mary welcomes new mental health support for Coventry

Mary Creagh, MP for Coventry East, has welcomed the news that a new NHS mental health centre is coming to Coventry, as part of the biggest redesign of adult mental health services in a generation.

The centre, delivered by Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, is one of 159 new NHS mental health facilities opening across England, backed by £343 million of government investment. It will offer walk-in support without the need for a referral, bringing mental health and specialist teams together under one roof, alongside GPs, the council, the voluntary sector, and families.

Demand for mental health services has risen sharply in recent years, particularly among children and young people, with around one in five people experiencing a common mental health condition each year. Too often, people in Coventry have only been able to access support once they reach crisis point, usually through a busy A&E, leaving families without the help they need and placing further pressure on local NHS services.

The new centre is part of a national rollout of 100 community mental health centres and 59 dedicated mental health emergency departments, more than doubling the number of specialist emergency departments across England. The first sites are expected to open from autumn this year, with further facilities following from March 2027.

Mary Creagh, MP for Coventry East, said:

"For too long, people across Coventry East have struggled to get the mental health support they need, often waiting months before help arrives, or ending up in A&E because there was nowhere else to turn.

"This new centre means that change is coming. People in Coventry will be able to walk in and get support earlier, closer to home, without waiting for a referral. It brings our GPs, specialist teams, and local services together in one place, working for our community.

"This is just the start. I'll keep pushing to make sure everyone in Coventry East gets the mental health support they deserve, when they need it."

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the new centres would be "a lifeline" for people struggling with their mental health, adding that the government was determined to build "a country that acts sooner when people need help."

Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said the investment would help people "get support earlier and closer to home, making it easier to get the right care before problems escalate."