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24-hour Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service

CamdenIslington

The 24-hour Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service (MHCAS) offers a calm and therapeutic mental health setting to see the majority of emergency mental health presentations and represent an improvement on the service previously offered in busy emergency departments.

MHCAS offers full emergency mental health assessments and onward care planning in the department with a diverse and highly skilled mental health workforce incorporating support workers, peer coaches, nurses and doctors. MHCAS can support every aspect of emergency mental health care planning, from GP referrals to Mental Health Act Assessments. 


Eligibility Criteria

Inclusions

  • anyone that would otherwise go to an emergency department for mental health reasons
  • does not have an urgent medical need (for example an overdose of medication).

How to Refer

Crisis Single Point of Access (C-SPA)

C-SPA will triage the referral and may accept for the Crisis Team or signpost.

If the person needs to be seen immediately and would otherwise go to A&E they will transfer the call to MHCAS.

Self-referral

Telephone the 24/7 crisis line on 0800 917 3333 or contact the usual community mental health team.

If service users attend the 24-hour Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service in person they will be seen but better to contact the crisis line in advance for advice to ensure people only leave home when absolutely necessary.


Locations

Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service (MHCAS)

Downloads



Review date: Thursday, 16 October 2025