Case studies
London Mental Health Crisis Hub Assessment Framework
January 12, 2021
The London Mental Health Crisis Hub Assessment Framework was launched in December 2020, following collaboration between London mental health trusts, acute trusts, service user representatives, NHSEI, UCLPartners, and Health Innovation Network.
As COVID-19 spread, mental health trusts responded rapidly to adapt the mental health crisis pathway to prevent the spread of COVID- 19 and relieve pressure on Acute Hospital Emergency Department services. Crisis hubs were created to enable people with mental health needs to be assessed in temporary spaces separate from emergency departments. During the summer NHSEI London sought to review lessons learnt from these hub models to inform the approach to the anticipated second wave of the pandemic and mental health care over the longer term.
As a London-based AHSN UCLPartners, along with Health Innovation Network, were asked to develop a best-practice framework which can be used to inform and evaluate mental health crisis hub models going forwards.
The framework was developed via a London-wide workshop for all London MH trusts and Acute Trusts hosted by NHSEI, HIN and UCLPartners.
The framework
The framework is based around the following principles:
- Safe
- Effective
- Person-centred
- Timely
- Efficient
- Equitable