First reported 16 Dec 2024•Latest report 28 Oct 2025
Definition
What this concern includes
Includes failures in arrangements for timely transfer, placement, crisis-house access, inpatient admission or other appropriate mental-health care for people held in A&E while awaiting mental-health assessment, treatment or a bed, including deficiencies in commissioning, bed availability, crisis response, escalation and coordination when these directly prolong unsafe A&E holding.
Not included
Excludes general emergency-department crowding, waiting-time or space deficiencies where no mental-health crisis or pending mental-health-care context is identified.
Excludes generic psychiatric bed shortages or community mental-health capacity failures when they do not result in prolonged A&E holding or delayed movement from A&E.
Excludes the quality of mental-health treatment after the person has been transferred to an appropriate mental-health setting.
Excludes failures in ambulance dispatch, emergency-department triage or physical security unless they directly cause prolonged holding of a person in mental health crisis pending appropriate mental-health care.
Reports
4
Distinct published reports
Individual concerns
5
A report can raise multiple concerns
Date range
2024–2025
First to latest report issue date
Stated actions
25
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
NHS England3
Department of Health and Social Care2
NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board2
Executive non-departmental public body3
Integrated care board2
Ministerial department2
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
West Sussex, Brighton and Hove
Concerns raised2
Excessive and prolonged holding of people in mental health crisis in A&E
Failure to divert people in mental health crisis to suitable alternatives to A&E where available
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.14
Action
Create up to 85 mental health emergency departments as alternatives to A&E.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 31 October 2025.
Action
Transform neighbourhood mental health services to shift crisis care from hospitals to communities.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 31 October 2025.
Action
Invest in local urgent and emergency mental health infrastructure, including crisis cafes, crisis houses, places of safety, emergency departments and crisis lines.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 31 October 2025.
Action
Fund and roll out specialised mental health ambulances staffed by physical and mental healthcare professionals.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 31 October 2025.
Action
Open more specialist Mental Health Emergency Departments alongside general Emergency Departments.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 31 October 2025.
Action
Make £75 million of additional capital available to improve local mental health bed capacity and reduce Out of Area Placements.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 31 October 2025.
Action
Establish Mental Health Response Vehicles to assess and treat patients away from Emergency Departments.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 31 October 2025.
Action
Task local health systems through operational planning guidance to improve mental health crisis-pathway flow and reduce Emergency Department waits exceeding 12 hours.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 31 October 2025.
Action
Establish Mental Health Emergency Departments co-located with Type 1 Emergency Departments.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 31 October 2025.
Action
Introduce a mental health crisis option through NHS 111.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 31 October 2025.
Action
Deploy mental health professionals in 999 emergency operation centres and clinical assessment services.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 31 October 2025.
Action
Embed mental health professionals in ambulance emergency operation centres.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 31 October 2025.
Action
Maintain the national NHS 111 mental health call option to support reductions in Emergency Department attendance.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 31 October 2025.
Action
Monitor delivery of Sussex mental health-crisis improvement plans through joint ICB and provider oversight meetings.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 31 October 2025.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Position
Individual trusts and local health systems are responsible for assessing and managing local mental health bed capacity.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
West Sussex, Brighton and Hove
Concerns raised1
Lack of inpatient psychiatric beds causing unacceptable A&E waits for people awaiting mental health beds
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.5
Action
Commission and extend 14 additional independent-sector acute adult mental health beds to support winter pressures and capacity.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care BoardStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 7 February 2025.
Action
Work with partners to improve timely discharge and support prompt admission for people awaiting mental health inpatient care.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care BoardStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 7 February 2025.
Action
Measure response times for people presenting to urgent and emergency mental-health services to support faster access to appropriate care.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 7 February 2025.
Action
Monitor patients waiting more than 72 hours in emergency departments for mental-health placements and escalate cases nationally for executive intervention.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 7 February 2025.
Action
Provide trusts and systems with action cards to reduce emergency-department waiting times, including actions for people with complex learning disabilities and autism.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 7 February 2025.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Position
SPFT manages Sussex’s inpatient mental health bed capacity and clinically prioritises patients according to need.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care BoardRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
West Sussex, Brighton and Hove
Concerns raised1
Lack of inpatient mental health beds causing unacceptable A&E waits
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
Action
Increase commissioned inpatient capacity by 27 acute beds, representing a net increase of 17 beds, by the end of March 2025.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care BoardStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 19 December 2024.
Action
Develop a business case for further inpatient beds in 2025–26 to support timely access to inpatient care.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care BoardStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 19 December 2024.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
Position
Sussex has above-average acute mental-health bed provision nationally, challenging the premise that insufficient beds explain the concern.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care BoardDisputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Position
Flexibility within mental-health services is the Trust’s responsibility, while NHS Sussex retains overarching commissioning responsibility.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care BoardRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
West Sussex, Brighton and Hove
Concerns raised1
Lack of inpatient mental health beds
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
Action
Commit £26 million in capital investment to open new mental health crisis centres.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 19 December 2024.
Action
Publish statutory guidance requiring coordinated, safe discharge from mental health, learning disability and autism inpatient settings.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 19 December 2024.
Action
Direct systems to reduce adult acute mental health ward length of stay and improve access to local inpatient beds.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 19 December 2024.
Action
Provide £42 million recurrent investment for ICBs to recommission inpatient care in line with locally appropriate therapeutic models.
Stated by NHS EnglandStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 19 December 2024.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
Position
Local trusts and health systems are responsible for assessing and managing mental-health bed capacity and patient flow.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Position
Local provider-level inpatient accommodation availability falls outside NHS England’s national policy and programme remit.
Stated by NHS EnglandOutside remitThe respondent said that this matter was outside its role or authority.
Position
NHS Sussex ICB is the responsible commissioner for the relevant local services, with the Trust responsible for its action plan.
Stated by NHS EnglandRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
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Includes failures in arrangements for timely transfer, placement, crisis-house access, inpatient admission or other appropriate mental-health care for people held in A&E while awaiting mental-health assessment, treatment or a bed, including deficiencies in commissioning, bed availability, crisis response, escalation and coordination when these directly prolong unsafe A&E holding.
