Peer support service helped people in Colchester and Tendring attend 385 healthcare appointments
Six peer support workers use their own experience of mental health challenges to help others
A mental health peer support service in Colchester and Tendring helped people attend 385 healthcare appointments in a year, according to the NHS trust and charity that run it.
The Peer Support Service is delivered in partnership by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) and local charity SUMMIT.
It supports people in Colchester and Tendring who are experiencing mental health difficulties.
The service has six peer support workers, who use their own experiences of mental health challenges to build trusting relationships, offer encouragement and help people overcome barriers to accessing care.
Peer support workers offer personalised support, usually over 20 to 24 weeks.
This includes helping people attend appointments, access counselling, manage financial and housing difficulties, and reconnect with their communities.
EPUT and SUMMIT said the service has now been running for two years, with referrals increasing as more NHS mental health teams and community services have begun accessing the support.
From August 2025 to August 2026, EPUT and SUMMIT said peer support workers helped people attend 385 healthcare appointments.
That included 330 GP appointments and 55 outpatient appointments.
They said this resulted in estimated NHS savings of £22,000 by helping to prevent missed appointments.
The team also supported five people experiencing mental health crises, which EPUT and SUMMIT said helped to avoid visits to A&E and potential hospital admissions.
Over the past year, the service helped people address more than 1,550 issues.
These ranged from accessing benefits and housing support to finding specialist counselling, befriending services and help with drug and alcohol difficulties.
A further 345 people were supported to access other health services.
SUMMIT has established peer support groups in Colchester and Tendring.
They give people a welcoming space to meet others, share experiences and continue receiving support after their individual sessions have ended.
EPUT and SUMMIT said the service also helps people overcome loneliness and isolation by building their confidence to take part in everyday activities and connect with others.
One person supported by the service said: "I have been really struggling with my mental health and now, with the support from my peer support worker, there is hope for the future."
Another said: "I don't know where I would be if they hadn't come into my life, I feel I can breathe again."
One person said: "I feel so much more confident going out on my own now."
Another said: "I feel like someone is listening to what I need."
Ann Sheridan, Executive Nurse at EPUT, said: "We are proud to work alongside SUMMIT to provide this valuable service, which shows just how powerful lived experience can be in supporting people's mental health."
She said: "Having someone who understands what you are going through can make a real difference, particularly for people who may have struggled to access support in the past."
She said: "These results show the positive impact peer support workers are having in helping people build confidence, stay connected with their care and get the help they need."
Gaynor Jarrett, CEO of SUMMIT, said: "Peer support is about helping people feel heard, understood and supported by someone who has experienced their own mental health challenges."
She said: "Behind these figures are people who are finding the confidence to leave their homes, attend appointments, make new connections and feel more hopeful about their futures."
She said: "We are incredibly proud of our peer support workers and the difference they are making to people's lives across Colchester and Tendring."
EPUT and SUMMIT said the service highlights the importance of health services, charities and community organisations working closely together to help people access support earlier and prevent their mental health from deteriorating.