Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) has unveiled a first look at its new £3.5 million urgent care response centre in Chester, which is set to open next year.
Located at Upton Lea on the Countess of Chester Health Park, the centre will provide a dedicated space for mental health crises and aims to reduce pressure on A&E departments.
Suzanne Edwards, deputy chief executive and director of operations at CWP, said: “Our new centre has a dual purpose in providing a specially designed, safe and calm assessment space for people when they are often at their most vulnerable, and reducing demand on our local emergency department.
“We know from listening to our patients and carers that if you are experiencing a mental health crisis, a loud and busy A&E department can’t always provide the best patient experience – we hope to change this.”
(Image: Supplied)
The centre will also become the permanent base for the West Cheshire GP out-of-hours service, out-of-hours district nursing, and the 24/7 mental health crisis line.
CWP is inviting individuals with experience of urgent care services to help choose a new name for the centre and share their feedback.
The trust hopes the centre will become a community health resource in line with the national 10-year health plan, and that its name will reflect that ambition.
Graham Wood, CWP capital project manager, said: “We’re working with people with lived experience of mental health distress to help us make the environment as comfortable and calming as possible.
“Our ethos for care is always home or community first.
“If, however, a face-to-face assessment is required, and this cannot be completed within a person’s home, crisis café or other community setting, the new unit will provide an invaluable therapeutic space.”
The centre is due to open in spring 2026, with its new name to be announced in the new year.