Mental health response car in Essex to ease pressure on A&E

Dan Phillips and mental health nurse Claire Fuller met media for an official launch on Tuesday

A dedicated ambulance response car for mental health emergencies has been launched by the NHS in Essex.

The vehicle is staffed by an East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) clinician and a mental health nurse from the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT).

It is the first of its kind for mid and south Essex and follows a similar rollout in Norfolk in 2021.

The NHS said the team could triage patients to mental health services.

Dan Phillips, interim deputy clinical director and consultant paramedic for the EEAST, said: "This will also have the secondary benefit of freeing up ambulance crews faster and reducing pressure on emergency departments."

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• Ambulances taking 90 minutes to get to 999 calls

• On patrol with a mental health crisis team

The car could be dispatched typically after a 999 call to the control centre.

The NHS said the dedicated team would be ready for callouts between 13:00 and 01:00 seven days per week.

Alex Green, chief operating officer at EPUT, said: "I'm really pleased to be working with our partners to launch such a vital service for people experiencing mental health crisis."

The car began operation earlier this month and the team met media on Tuesday for an official launch.