New mental health centre set to open in Swindon, Wiltshire
The centre is expected to launch by the end of 2027/28
A new mental health centre is set to open in Swindon, Wiltshire.
A document entitled "Access to Mental Health Services" has been published by Swindon Borough Council, outlining plans for the facility.
The town is expected to launch its first Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre by the end of 2027/28, subject to any planning requirements.
Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres are part of a national drive led by NHS England, providing open-access, non-clinical mental health support for adults without referral requirements.
"A formal specification is currently in development nationally, pending evaluation of 6 national pilot sites," the document says.
However, it is expected that the centre will be designed to support anyone aged 18 and over within its catchment area.
It will likely offer very short-term "hospitality beds" for stays of one to four nights.
A walk-in service, similar to a crisis café, will be available, with crisis support available 24 hours a day.
Other services are expected to include digital and phone support, planned clinical care, and help with housing, employment and welfare.
The centres will also take a population health approach, reaching out to underserved communities.
They aim to address gaps in crisis support, improve equity of access, and help those who do not meet thresholds for secondary care.
A working group is already in place to support the development of the Swindon centre, reporting to the Swindon Place Board and the BSW Mental Health Delivery Group, which covers Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire.
Both groups include representation from Swindon Borough Council.
NHS England expects all Integrated Care Boards to look to roll out these centres by the end of 2029/30.
No new funding has been allocated for the centres, with systems expected to use existing resources to support delivery.
The report also states that Swindon is performing well in several areas of mental health, such as access to children's mental health support and reducing out-of-area placements.
But it acknowledges that challenges remain in certain areas, particularly discharge from inpatient mental health beds and dementia diagnosis rates, which remain a focus of ongoing work.
The document estimates that at least 3,000 Swindon residents are living with dementia, a figure which is only expected to rise.
Other mental health services are available in Swindon, including Oriana House in the Old Town area, the town's first women-only mental health crisis house.
The plans for the mental health centre will be discussed at a meeting of Swindon Borough Council's Adult's, Health and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday 4th November.