What to do if you need urgent mental health help

If someone is in immediate danger

Call 999 or go to your nearest A&E department. This includes situations where someone has seriously harmed themselves, has taken an overdose, or is at immediate risk of harming themselves or someone else. Emergency departments are open 24 hours a day.

Urgent but not an emergency

Call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option. NHS 111 mental health support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for people of all ages across England, and can direct you to local urgent mental health services. Equivalent urgent routes operate in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Local NHS urgent mental health helplines operate across England and can be found through the NHS website. Some areas also run crisis cafés or safe havens.

Free listening support, any time

• Samaritans — free on 116 123, 24 hours a day, every day
• Shout — free text SHOUT to 85258, 24 hours a day
• Childline — free on 0800 1111 for children and young people
• Papyrus HOPELINE247 — for under-35s experiencing thoughts of suicide, and those worried about them

Your GP

For urgent but non-emergency concerns during opening hours, contact your GP practice and say clearly that it is urgent and mental-health related. Out of hours, use NHS 111.

If you already have a care team

If you are under a community mental health team, crisis team or private provider, follow the plan you have agreed with them. If you have a crisis or safety plan, use it.

Why a directory is not a crisis route

NeuroLynk is a discovery and referral platform. We do not provide treatment, do not monitor enquiries in real time, do not assess risk and do not offer crisis support. An enquiry submitted through NeuroLynk is routed to a provider, who responds during their own working hours. It must never be used when someone needs help now.

Private providers are generally not crisis services either. Even if you are receiving private care, urgent and emergency support in the UK comes through the NHS routes above.

Supporting someone else

Stay with them if you safely can, remove immediate means of harm if it is safe to do so, and use the routes above. Ask directly and calmly what is happening. You do not need to have the right words, and you are not expected to manage clinical risk yourself.