A crisis line for people on the Fylde coast suffering with their mental health has received an average of 195 calls a day since it was launched 12 months ago.
The Blackpool and Fylde Coast initial response service was set up by health chiefs so people could have a single access point where they could go to for help, without needing a doctor’s referral.
Call handlers are available round the clock to offer advice or refer people to other services if they are suffering a more serious breakdown. The aim is to see emergency cases within an hour, within four hours for an urgent referral and within five days for a routine referral.
The service has received more than 10,000 referrals since its launch in September last year up to June 30 this year, with the highest number being in the 26 to 35-year age group.
Calls should be answered within 15 seconds by trained call handlers. Since the launch the IRS in Blackpool and the Fylde coast has supported just over 38 per cent more people to access secondary mental health care.
Figures presented to a meeting of Blackpool Council’s Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committee show the service has reduced the number of mental health patients going to A&E by 3.1 per cent.
A report adds the number of people being detained by the police for mental health reasons has also reduced thanks to initiatives such as a street triage scheme where police and mental health practitioners work together, treating people immediately at the scene of an incident.
The phone number for people to access the service is 0800 013 0709.
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