Michael Gove, MP for Surrey Heath, has welcomed news that the Pioneer project in Frimley, a short-stay residential unit for children and young people in mental health crisis, will receive £1,391,000 from the Government.
This funding follows the Government’s recent announcement that it is investing £150 million in NHS mental health urgent and emergency care services up to April 2025. £143 million will be used to provide new and improved mental health crisis response infrastructure. This includes schemes such as crisis cafés, houses and hubs in the community.
Other schemes receiving funding include step-down services, mental health urgent assessment and care centres, crisis line upgrades and improvements to health-based ‘places of safety’ and emergency department spaces. It also includes £7 million for 100 specialised mental health ambulances to take staff directly to patients in need of emergency care.
Together these projects provide a range of safe and supportive spaces for people experiencing mental health crisis that can act as an alternative to A&E, providing intensive support to people in the community. As announced by Minister Maria Caulfield, the Government’s mental health spend will increase in the coming financial year, we expect this to account for 8.9% of total recurrent spend.
Commenting, Michael Gove said:
“Support for Mental Health Services, particular child and adolescent mental-health care, is so important, and I am delighted that the Pioneer project in Frimley will receive almost £1.4 million in funding. This secures crucial and much-needed support for local children and young people in mental health crisis.”
