New 24-hour NHS mental health text service now available in Bedfordshire
Residents seeking mental health support can receive free, confidential help from qualified professionals through text messages, WhatsApp or online chat.
The NHS-funded Crisis Text Support Service is open to people of all ages, with no minimum age requirement.
It offers an alternative for people who prefer communicating by text rather than speaking on the phone or face-to-face, including those experiencing anxiety, loneliness, overwhelming thoughts or emotional distress.
People can access the service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by texting SOS to 80899, sending a WhatsApp message to 0800 884 0655, or visiting nxgthrive.co.uk/crisis-text-service.
The service is commissioned by NHS Central East, NHS Norfolk and Suffolk and NHS Essex Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), and delivered by NXG Thrive.
It is also available across the wider East of England, including neighbouring Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
Dr Fiona Head, medical director for NHS Central East ICB, said: “We want to make sure the mental health services we commission reflect the needs of our local communities, so people can get the right support, at the right time and in a way that works for them.
“That means offering a range of services that recognise people may want to seek help in different ways.
“This new service gives people another important option alongside existing mental health services, offering greater choice and helping them get the care and support that’s right for them when they need it.”
The service is staffed by registered health and care professionals, including people with backgrounds in psychology, counselling, social work and mental health nursing.
Responders are trained in safeguarding, crisis intervention and therapeutic approaches, enabling them to assess risks, develop safety plans and direct people towards appropriate local services.
The online chat service also includes real-time translation tools, allowing people to communicate with responders in their first language.
The service is designed to complement existing NHS mental health provision, including local crisis lines, rather than replace it.
Anyone needing urgent mental health support can also contact NHS 111 and select the mental health option. If someone is in immediate danger or their life is at risk, call 999 or go to the nearest A&E department.