People across the East of England can now get round-the-clock mental health support through a new NHS text service.
The service is available by SMS, WhatsApp and web chat to people of all ages living in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Milton Keynes.
Users are connected to a crisis text responder who is a registered health or care professional trained in safeguarding and crisis intervention. Responders can support people in distress, assess immediate risk and direct them towards local mental health services.
The web chat also offers real-time translation tools, allowing staff to communicate with people in their first language. The service gives people another way to seek help when making a phone call or speaking face-to-face feels difficult.
Why it matters for Britain
The service adds an accessible, 24-hour route into NHS mental health support for communities across seven areas of eastern England. Text and web chat may be particularly useful for people who find written communication easier than calling, while translation tools could help more residents communicate with responders in their first language.
