Delivering a mental health response vehicle service in Wales: a pilot initiative

NHS emergency services, including ambulance services and emergency departments (EDs), are under considerable pressure due, in part, to the lack of availability of alternative healthcare services. People with mental health issues often contact ambulance 999 services when they cannot access the care they require from other sources. Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust (WAST) employs mental health professionals in its 999 call centres to provide remote mental health triage and support. While this has been effective in reducing ambulance conveyance to EDs, many patients still require a face-to-face assessment. To address this, WAST explored the option of providing a mental health response vehicle (MHRV) service, which has been shown to be effective in some ambulance trusts in England. This article gives an overview of a pilot MHRV service that was delivered by WAST across the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board locality in south-east Wales in between January and March 2024. Results suggest that the MHRV service can reduce ED conveyance rates and potentially provide cost savings for WAST and the wider NHS in Wales.